ABBOTSFORD – When it comes to mental wellness, the fierce independence and stoicism too common in farmers can be problematic. “I heard from a poultry producer yesterday,” says Wendy Bennett, executive director of AgSafe BC. “She said, ‘My husband needs the support, but he won’t ask for it. So, when I call, and it’s peer …
WorkSafeBC
WorkSafeBC increases inspections
The single-largest cause of on-farm injuries in the farm sector according to WorkSafeBC is falls, but with the COVID-19 pandemic still going strong the provincial agency is doubling down on efforts to make sure the farm sector is adhering to its safety plans designed to curb the risk of infection. WorkSafeBC announced May 8 that …
Farm injury rate falls
BC farms have been working hard to stay safe, an accomplishment AgSafeBC chair Don Dahr says everyone can take credit for. “With more than 24,000 workers in the agriculture subsector in 2019, a reduction in the number of time-lost claims is something everyone of us should be proud of,” he told the association’s annual meeting …
COVID-19 hits Fraser Valley farms
While foreign workers were the focus of concerns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second wave has brought the risks of the disease home to local farms. The past week saw Fraser Health Authority declare outbreaks at two farms in the Fraser Valley. On December 2, an outbreak was declared at Millennium …
Farm safety organization revamps
A new era for farm safety in BC dawned this week as farm sector representatives approved motions to rename the province’s largest farm safety organization the AgSafe Agriculture Association and reconfigure its board of directors. “Today marks the first time that AgSafe has made significant changes to the bylaws,” AgSafe chair Don Dahr told a …