Farm safety effort targets young farm workers

Canadian Ag Safety Week, from March 12 to 18, marks the official launch of Alberta Agriculture and Food's new farm safety campaign entitled Safety Up!

Together with this year's national Ag Safety Week theme 'Farm Safety: Manage more than just your back', the youth-focused Safety Up! campaign encourages Alberta's youngest crop of workers to focus on preventing on-farm accidents.

The new campaign is focused on educating new and young farm workers, ages 17 to 24.

"New workers are often unaware of the potential hazards on the job, and according to the Workers Compensation Board; young workers are one third more likely to be injured on the job than those over age 25," said Laurel Aitken, Farm Safety Coordinator for Alberta Agriculture and Food.

"There are a number of factors that contribute to this, including the fact that this age group tends to be coming into the new jobs in most farming families," she said.

"These kids may have been working on farms all their lives but as they become adults, they take on more complicated tasks with more responsibilities and bigger machinery."

She added that an increase in foreign workers, who have never worked on a farm, and that fact that many young people often think of themselves as "invincible," may also contribute to the higher injury rate.

"Some people in that age range think 'That couldn't happen to me because I am young and smart and quick.'

"And while that may be true, it only takes a slight distraction and a bad day and somebody gets hurt on the job."

More than 50 per cent of accidents involving young workers occur during their first six months on the job.

Aitken said that instilling safety practices from the start will help promote lifelong habits and attitudes that protect the health and safety of Alberta's agriculture and food industry workers throughout their careers.

"We want to get to the kids when they are young to ensure that they grow up with safety in mind," said Aitken.

Recognizing many farms are the site of homes as well as workplaces, a series of mini-books that teach on-farm safety to preschoolers through the adventures of Danger Dog, and restaurant activity placemats for children.

The Safety Up! campaign offers a variety of free resources including posters, bumper stickers and window clings to promote farm safety among Alberta's youth.

Safety Up! displays are also available for use at community events, tradeshows and other types of local events that offer a forum to showcase the important message of farm safety.

A new orientation and training guide for employers, which is under development by Alberta Agriculture and Food, will include a series of 15 fact sheets specifically designed to help prepare younger workers.