Farmers and ranchers in Alberta hold safety as a high priority on their farms. Farm owners and managers are encouraged to include farm safety programs and practices into their operations daily. It is the responsibility of the farmer to be aware of the dangers, and to set a safe example for employees, family members, and the community.
It is important for farmers to establish preventative measures and create health and safety systems that fit their operations. A few simple preventable measures go a long way towards establishing a safe working environment. An effective health and safety program protects the farmer, the family, the workers and the workplace from preventable injury and damage.
Farming is a way of life but farms and ranches have evolved into business operations that use business risk management strategies for operations. It is beneficial to include farm safety management into the overall farm risk management strategy too.
Working in agriculture is not risk free. Recognizing the risks and establishing procedures to manage and mitigate risk is a step towards improving the safety of people working on the farm. We cannot live the life of a farmer or farming family without risk. Risk management is about insurance, guards on PTOs, helmets and zones such as grain storage, where children are not allowed.