Keep farm workers safe by getting back to basics

If you ask any farmer whether they want to work safely and protect their workers from getting injured or ill, the answer, without a doubt, would be yes. The intention is there. The problem is usually in the execution. Jay Remsik, a Health and Safety Consultant with WSPS, works with farmers to help them and their workers stay healthy and safe.

“Twenty-five years ago, when I was working on a farm, the first one to show up in the morning was the one who drove the tractor because we just wanted to get to work. The farm operator didn’t necessarily verify training or experience. That’s not how things are done today,” says Jay. “We have legislation, guidelines, and mandatory training to help farm workers stay safe on the job.”

Jay explains that when many farm operators are dealing with very tight timelines, varying weather conditions, and seasonal workers coming in and out, it can be difficult to stay on top of the tasks that keep workers safe—such as hazard assessments, safe work procedures, and training.

“For example, let’s say an operator hires three workers for the season. Two of them start right away and complete health and safety training and orientation. The third one starts a week later, jumps right in with the others, and doesn’t complete the full training,” says Jay. “The intention was there, but the training kept getting put off.”

Stay on track by following the legislation and MLITSD guidelines

Farming operations are businesses, and as with all businesses in Ontario, they must operate in compliance with health and safety laws. “These laws are there for a reason. They help prevent injury and illness,” says Jay. In addition to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Farming Regulation 414, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) created the Health and Safety Guidelines for Farming Operations.

These guidelines cover topics such as confined spaces, operating farm equipment, working with large animals, falls, and occupational illnesses. They provide farm operators with the essential information they need to fulfill their legal responsibilities and keep workers safe.  “The OHSA requires employers to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers,” reminds Jay. “Adhering to these guidelines is a good way to ensure that you are doing what is expected.”

Take the Stop Think Act approach to identifying hazards

Employers are required to inform workers about the hazards they may encounter while performing their job. “As the employer, if you don’t know what the hazards are, how are you going to inform your workers?” asks Jay. He recommends starting with a hazard assessment, then building on it to create procedures and training documents.

“A hazard assessment is one of the best ways to identify the hazards that workers will face while doing specific tasks,” says Jay. When you break down a job task into steps and look at the potential hazards in each step, you end up with the information you need to develop a safe work procedure. Once you have a safe work procedure, you can use it to train workers. “Going through this process also provides you with the documentation necessary to demonstrate that you have taken every reasonable precaution,” says Jay. He recommends using the Stop Think Act approach when completing hazard assessments.

• STOP—Stop and consider the hazards involved in a task.
• THINK—Think about methods to control the hazards (e.g., Can you eliminate the hazard or change how the task is being done? Will personal protective equipment be required, such as hearing protection or respirators, and will it reduce the risk?).
• ACT—Once you identify hazards and methods to control them, take action and implement the controls.

Leverage health and safety representatives and JHSCs

Health and safety representatives JHSCs play a critical role in managing health and safety risks in workplaces. They help to raise awareness of health and safety issues, recognize and identify workplace risks, and develop recommendations for the employer to address these risks. However, Jay points out that there is often some confusion over when they are required for farming operations and who should be involved.

All workplaces, including farming operations, with more than five employees are required to select a worker to be the health and safety representative. When a farm regularly employs 20 or more workers who have duties related to beef, dairy, greenhouse, mushroom, poultry, or swine operations, the farm operator must establish a JHSC. The JHSC must have at least one management representative and one worker. If those same six types of farming operations regularly employ more than 50 people, the JHSC must have at least two worker representatives and two management representatives. In this scenario, at least one worker representative and one management representative must be certified.  

Once there is a health and safety representative or JHSC in place, they will be a valuable resource to keep the farm working towards its health and safety goals. “Monthly inspections performed by the health and safety rep or JHSC worker member(s) are an effective way to assess hazards and evaluate if the controls being used are working,” says Jay. However, he does have a word of caution for farm operators. “Employers can not pass off their health and safety responsibilities to the health and safety rep or JHSC,” he says. “The employer is still ultimately responsible for protecting their workers. Instead, employers should leverage the health and safety rep or JHSC as a knowledgeable resource and work with them to address hazards and mitigate risks.”

How WSPS can help

Consulting

Connect with a WSPS health and safety expert for help with identifying and controlling common hazards.

Training

• JHSC Certification Training Part 1 (online, instructor-led, 3 days)
• JHSC Certification Training Part 2 – Agriculture (online, instructor-led, 2 days)
• Tractor Safety (eCourse, 1 hour)

Resources

• Farm Safety Roundup Podcast, Ep 10: Back to the Basics | Farm Safety 101 with Jay Remsik
• Hazard Assessments for Agriculture (video)
• Agriculture and Horticulture—Stay Focused, Stay Safe (toolkit)
• Small Business Checklist (1-5 employees) Agriculture
• Preventing Machine Hazards – Agriculture (toolkit)
• Health and Safety Orientation Handbook Generator

Events

• Greenhouse Health & Safety Symposium - January 28, 2025,  Leamington, ON or attend virtually - Aimed at senior leaders who own/operate and/or manage greenhouse employees, this Symposium will provide an awareness of the issues affecting greenhouse and discuss proactive measures that can be put in place today to prevent future incidents from occurring.  You'll:
  • • Learn to recognize and control risks in your workplace
    • Gain insight from the WSIB, MLITSD and WSPS
    • Get real-life examples of scenarios that may have application at your workplace 

 The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.