Farm Safety Remains Major Priority for Federation
On-farm safety has long been a top priority for the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.
This spring, the federation handed out over 200 free “slow moving vehicle” signs to members as a reminder to properly identify their equipment on Island roadways. During the summer, the federation joined forces with Island Health Services to hold two training sessions leading to Standard First Aid Certification.
In August, the federation coordinated and sponsored a two-day tractor safety training course at the JVI facility at Slemon Park.
On September 17th, the Federation partnered with the Agriculture Sector Council to stage a one-day safe animal handling training course at Orwell Historic Village. A total of 37 students enrolled in the Agriculture Certificate Program at Westisle, Kensington, and Kinkora High Schools took part in the session.
Recommendation six of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Agriculture and Agri-Food on Prince Edward Island states specifically, “the PEI Agriculture and Agri-food sector must develop a comprehensive strategy for human resource development, including labour market development, succession planning, and emphasizing the absolute necessity of attracting new entrants to farm business ownership and other agri-business.”
It is the position of the PEIFA that in order for the agriculture community on PEI to have a resource base of succession farmers, labourers, and service industry personnel, the agriculture curriculum (including the certificate program) must be updated and expanded.
Over the coming months the PEIFA will be scheduling on-site fork lift training at various locations to coincide with the wrap up of potato harvest. They are also working on tentative dates for first aid training early in 2010. If anyone has interest in either of these programs, please contact Tim Seeber at the Federation office at 368-7289 or by email at seebertw@eastlink.ca.
Last winter, the federation held meetings with the Highway Safety Division and Occupational Health & Safety to address the growing number of incidents involving farm equipment on provincial roadways. A two-pronged approach is being developed to address the problem.
An awareness campaign is being developed to educate farm equipment owners and operators of current regulations that have a high level of non-compliance. Elements of the Highway Traffic Act have been identified that either, (a) do not have wording pertaining to vehicles of husbandry, or (b) have wording which is not practical or current.
The federation wants industry and equipment manufacturers to have input into proposed changes to ensure they are both practical and enforceable. To initiate this process, the federation and the Highway Safety Division held a joint presentation at the Farm Centre September 21st to allow farm organizations, the Workers Compensation Board, Department of Agriculture, and equipment dealers to review the concerns at hand and to move forward with a plan to address both issues. We will provide more detail surrounding this initiative in the next magazine.
