“When it comes to safety planning, all the buzz around assessments, policies and reports can make the process sound complex,” says Nicole Hornett, farm safety specialist, AF. “Which is the best assessment checklist to use? What good will a policy do? Will anyone ever read these incident reports again?”
If covering everything in the farm safety planning process feels overwhelming, it’s important to remember that there is no need to tackle writing and applying the entire plan in one session. “Well-planned steps in the beginning can save time overall. A formal hazard assessment is a detailed and documented look at situations, conditions or behaviours that have the potential to cause an injury or loss. Conducting one is an excellent way to start to develop a safety plan. To do the assessment, you’ll need to look at the tasks being performed, the equipment being used, the worksite environment, and the people doing the jobs.”
A formal hazard assessment highlights safety issues to adapt, fix, change or remove and the information gathered during the process can serve as a foundation to build a safety system on, says Hornett. “The priority areas will become clearer, and will show farm managers and supervisors which worksite hazards to focus on.”
During the assessment, hazards may be identified across the following categories:
- physical hazards like operating equipment, mechanical movements from machinery, impacts with livestock or gates, exposure to high noise levels, falling from heights, lifting heavy objects, or working in extreme temperatures
- chemical hazards like handling cleaners, using solvents, mixing pesticides, or exposure to fuels and fuel vapours
- biological hazards like contact with bacteria and viruses, veterinary medicines, or dangerous gases from manure pits, grain bins, septic tanks or other confined spaces
- psychosocial hazards like working long hours, stress, fatigue, limited break times, language barriers or harassment.
“The FarmSafe Alberta tool helps farmers and farm managers apply a health and safety management system, or safety plan. Hazard assessment is one of the eight planning elements identified by the guide. The information gained from the assessment will be used in completing other planning steps like hazard control, inspections, worker orientation and training, emergency response and incident investigation. When paired with a FarmSafe workshop, the step-by-step manual guides farm managers to create a system that is personalized and tailored to their individual business needs.”
For more information about FarmSafe Alberta: A Safety Planning Guide for Farms and Ranches, go to www.agriculture.alberta.ca/farmsafety.