Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I know that it is important to have everyone who works on the farm know what they are doing. How do I know if the training and instruction I have provided will be considered sufficient by some third party such as a safety inspector?
A. The measure of adequate training or instruction is competence. The question that you have to answer is, ‘does the individual possess knowledge, experience and training to perform a specific duty’?

Your first step is to ensure that the individual has the capacity to perform the task. Are they able to understand not only the specific steps of the job but also what the possible consequences of their actions will be? As well, are they strong enough, have adequate eyesight, hearing, ability to comfortably reach and operate controls to do the job?

Your next step is to assume that the worker is not familiar with your workplace. Go through the work process step by step as though they have never done it before. Just because the worker worked somewhere else does not mean that they know how your equipment functions and what the working conditions are like on your farm.

Then, get them to demonstrate and review what you have taught them – at this time you will want to ask some ‘what – if’ questions, to make sure the worker is able to think “outside the box” and will be able to anticipate changes, being prepared to respond to those varying situations.

Once you are confident the worker can do the job, watch them do it and re-explain the process as required. Training is never a one time event. Always be prepared to update your workers on any changes to equipment, process or information that you get. And finally, keep a record of who you trained, when, at what task and the equipment used, and have the worker initial the report. This is all part of the complete package of protecting the worker and yourself.

Keep in mind that by providing detailed training you are protecting your investment, your worker will get the task done more efficiently and your employees will be safer doing their jobs.

Q. Why has there been so much talk about “blocking” of raised equipment lately?
A. Recently there have been several incidents where individuals have either died or been seriously injured when working under or near equipment that has been raised (elevated) mechanically or hydraulically. Unless you have ensured the raised equipment can not move by securely blocking any movement, the potential for collapse is very great.

For example, taking a minute to place a heavy timber (like a railway tie) across the chassis of raised truck box tight into the hinge point or securing a factory stop block over the ram of a hydraulic cylinder on the gate of a round baler or placing a block under a piece of equipment that has been jacked up and not relying only on the jack for support can mean the difference between a safe work environment and a death trap.

In the majority of incidents where equipment has unexpectedly come down, the person under it had no time to react and escape – it happens faster then you can move. The equipment can come down for a variety of reasons ranging from soft ground not being able to support the base of a jack or small block, to an inadvertent release of hydraulic pressure by someone touching the control or loosening a fitting, to the person under the equipment pulling on a tool causing the equipment to move on its inadequate blocking.

Even if you just have to go under or in between raised components for a minute, it will take far less time to block the raised equipment securely, compared to the time it will take to recover from the injuries or arrange a funeral.

Q. I heard there will be a farm safety seminar this fall. How will attending it help me?
A. The Manitoba Farm Safety and Health seminar is a two day event, November 6 & 7, 2008 at the Greenwood Inn in Winnipeg. The purpose is to help Manitoba agricultural producers develop a better understanding of their safety and health responsibilities. This will be a ‘hands-on’ experience on using available resources to better manage safety and health risks on their farms.

It is presented by Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities and the Manitoba Government, with financial support from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.

If you are a producer who employs workers, either on a full time or casual basis, this is a ‘must attend’ seminar. Presenters will cover such topics as safety and health regulatory requirements, how to ensure workers do the job correctly, how to control soft tissue injuries and a lawyer’s advise on recording keeping and being able to demonstrate due diligence.

There will be numerous displays by safety equipment suppliers and resource providers such as the Manitoba Occupational Health Centre and the Manitoba government’s Safe Farms resources. Free hearing tests and lung function tests will also be available.

For registration information contact the KAP office or through the Contact Us area of this web site.

Q. Do I have to have a first aid kit on my farm and, if so, what kind of kit?
A. The short answer is Yes. The Workplace Safety and Health requires that every employer must provide 1 first aid kit if there are 24 or fewer workers at the workplace. The number of first aid kits required increases with the number of number of workers in the workplace. There is also an expectation that there will be at least one trained first aider (level 2) if there are 1 to 10 workers on the worksite.

The contents of the first aid kit will vary depending whether it is intended for an individual working alone or for a location where there are multiple workers present as well as the type of work being performed.

Now for my question! If you or a family member or an employee became injured, where it was necessary to control bleeding or stabilize a fracture or protect an amputation, which would you prefer to be used, a clean sterile dressing from a $35 first aid kit or a sweaty grease shirt sleeve?

Q. Do I need rollover protection on my old tractor?
A. In checking the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, it requires all farm tractors manufactured after December 31, 2000 and used exclusively for agricultural work to be equipped with a Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS). There is also a requirement that that equipment be equipped with a seat and a seat belt for the operator.

The ROPS requirement does not apply to tractors which do not have a mass of 700 kg or greater.

From a due diligence perspective, if you do have a tractor manufactured before January 1, 2001 and you are using it in situations where the terrain is uneven or sloped or there any potential for it to rollover sideways or backwards, then you would be wise to invest in a retro-fit ROPS. You may be tempted to build it yourself, however there are significant risks of designing and building a ROPS without detailed engineering and testing protocols, not to mention potential legal repercussions. Just remember if you build it and it fails, the end result will be catastrophic.

Also when purchasing equipment that comes with a ROPS check to ensure that it does have a sticker or name plate affixed to the structure itself, indicating that it was designed and built to an approved standard and for the piece of equipment that it is on. Suppliers do have a legal obligation to ensure that products that they are supplying to a workplace (including a farm) are safe to use when used as specified by the manufacturer and the information on its use is provided to the user.

Q. What's required for bin protection (safety harness, etc) "What equipment, if any, is required for the safe climbing of grain bins (safety harness, ladder cage, etc)?"
A. To access or service bins, silos or other structures in the safest possible manner there are a few considerations. These include the height of the structure, whether you will be entering it, how you will be getting up there as well as whether the structure itself has the structural integrity to support a fall arrest system.

If the structure does not have a fixed ladder and you will be using an extension ladder, then the ladder will have to be positioned on a stable surface with the base of the ladder approximately 1 meter away from the vertical wall for every 4 meters of height and the ladder is secured against movement. The person climbing the ladder must always have three points of contact with the ladder (one hand and two feet on the rungs or two hands and one foot). If you are going to be accessing a platform or other surface the ladder must extend one meter above that access point.

Standing in the bucket of a front end loader is NOT an option. The only time that a person can be elevated is if it is a platform that has been designed and manufactured for that purpose.

For structures that have fixed ladders that extend more than three meters above a surface, a procedure will have to be developed to protect the person from falling. This typically is done through the use of some form of fall protection equipment. If the ladder on the structure has a safety cage surrounding the ladder and there are rest platforms at 5 meter intervals, then there is adequate fall protection.

However, if the fixed ladder does not have a cage and there is a risk of falling more than 3 meters, some form of fall protection must be utilized. The typical practice would be for the person to wear a properly fitted full body harness which is attached to a lanyard which in turn is attached to some fixed attachment point. To determine whether the ladder rungs or rails are suitable as an attachment point it will be necessary to contact the bin or structure manufacturer to ensure that the structure is capable of supporting the forces that would be exerted if someone feel and their free falling weight was transferred to the attachment point.

Q. What do you do about tingle voltage?
A. Tingle voltage occurs when metal components in a barn or facility have a difference in electrical potential from the ground. This usually happens when there is more resistance in the neutral (grounding) wiring portion of the electrical installation then there would be between a metal component of the barn (which is connected to the neutral wiring) and the ground which the person or animal is standing on. When this occurs the person or animal may feel a tingle or shock as they might when you get a static electric shock.

To resolve this issue, bring in an qualified electrician to ensure that all electrical connections are tight secure and not corroded as well as ensuring that all components are adequately grounded. In some circumstances it may be necessary to have specialized equipment installed to control the situation.

Q. Do employees have to wear safety equipment (steel toed boots, safety glasses, hard hats)?
A. Wearing personal protective equipment is required when there is a hazard and it is determined that the most practical way of protecting the worker from that hazard is to wear personal protective equipment. So if the worker is working in the workshop using a grinder or welding then it really is a no-brainer – you have to protect your eyes and appropriate eye protection should be worn. Similarly, if you are working around livestock or where there are heavy objects which may fall or come down on your feet then you would want to wear CSA approved footwear that has safety caps to protect your toes from injury. It is up to the person in charge (the farm owner /employer) to do a risk assessment of the job and determine if there is the potential for injury or illness to occur. If there is, then that person should develop a safe work procedure, which may resort to a variety of techniques to control the worker’s exposure to the hazard ranging from separating the worker from the hazard so that there is to chance of the worker being exposed to the hazard. Such as having a policy that no one is to enter a livestock corral, holding pen or alleyway and that they must perform their work from outside the fencing separating them from the animals at all times. Alternately, if that is impractical and it is necessary for the worker to enter the area where the hazard is then it will be necessary to provide the worker with an alternate form of protection and that would be the requirement to wear safety footwear as well as other procedural practices such as using crowding panels or other systems to protect the work as far as is reasonably practical. This assessment and planning applies to all work ranging from chemical handling to construction and excavations on the farm – spot the hazard – assess the risk – find a safer way – everyday.

Q. What is the safe play area grant? How do I apply for it?
A. The Safe Play Area Grant Program provides families with a grant of up to $500 to offset the cost of building an enclosed (fenced) safe area for small children to play in on their farms. Grant conditions and details are available by calling 204 788-6652 or online at Government of MB-Healthy Living

Q. Where can I find information about Farm Safety?
A. Farm safety information is available from a variety of sources. For regulatory information and various program information you can call the Provincial Farm Safety Coordinator at 1 800 282-8069 ext. 2315 or via e-mail at safefarms@gov.mb.ca. You can also get information online from MAFRI Farm Safety or Manitoba Labour as well you can contact the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association at (204) 452-2722 or via email:@Canadian Agricultural Safety Association or online CASA-ACSA on line. .

Q. I am going to be bringing a contractor on to my farm to erect a new machine shed. All that safety and health stuff is the contractor’s responsibility – right?
A. Wrong! As the owner of the property you have responsibilities as well.

Firstly, there will be people coming onto your farm to work and they may not be familiar with the hazards that may be present on your farm. It is your responsibility to inform them of those hazards and take steps to ensure that they are not exposed to them. The types of hazards can range from having aggressive livestock in the work area to knowing that there are buried electrical wires or fuel tanks / lines in the area that they may be excavating or working. If there is something there that could hurt them and you know about it, you have to warn them. You also must make sure that any work you are doing does not adversely affect the crew working for the contractor, for example if the shed location is adjacent to a field and a pesticide will be applied while the crew is present, it is your responsibility to advise the crew of appropriate precautions or reschedule the application so that you are not exposing the crew to that hazard.

Secondly, you do have to confirm and document with the contractor doing the work that the crew will be following established safety and health practices as well as confirming who will be responsible for ensuring that that does happen.