Canada: Farmers say rules promote safety culture
Each day, they hold “tailgate” farm safety meetings to remind workers to inspect equipment before hopping into a tractor or to ensure ice hasn’t built up in front of a garage door.
His office on the southern British Columbia ranch contains 21 farm safety binders on how to run a ranch to be compliant with WorkSafe BC regulations.
However, Williams and other B.C. ranchers have had more than 30 years to get used to the stringent provincial farm safety rules.
He believes Alberta farmers and ranchers are about to get a shock when the province starts to enforce the occupational health and safety rules contained in Bill 6, the controversial farm safety legislation Alberta passed just before Christmas.
Premiums for greenhouse operators have dropped from $3.40 per $100 of salary in 2009 to $1.82 in 2016. Berry and orchard grower premiums dropped from $2.81 per $100 salary in 2009 to $1.57 in 2016.
Stan Vander Waal, chair of the BC Agriculture Council and the owner of greenhouses in B.C. and Alberta, has provided WCB coverage in his Alberta greenhouses for nine years, even though it wasn’t required.
“I believe as farmers we owe our workers the same safety nets as any other worker working in other sectors in Alberta,” he said in an email.
“I recommend Alberta farmers not oppose WCB coverage, as it actually makes farmers look bad, as if they don’t care for the welfare of our workers should they be injured. Farmers should save their ‘fight’ energy for bigger things.”
Read the full article at The Western Producer