Canada's federal government is investing more than $1 million over two years in the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr announced on 20 September. The money will support safety campaigns, resource development and other initiatives run by the association, which is behind programmes such as BeGrainSafe, Canadian Agricultural Safety Week and FarmSafe Kids.

"By investing in practical safety resources, we are helping protect the people who work tirelessly to keep food on our tables," Carr said in a statement. "It gives producers the confidence they need to run their operations while keeping safety at the forefront." CASA executive director Sandra Miller said the commitment "enables us to deliver programs and resources that help prevent injuries, save lives, and strengthen the safety culture across Canada's agricultural sector".

The announcement came two days after Blue Hills RCMP in Manitoba were called to a fatal workplace accident involving farm equipment in the Rural Municipality of Glenboro South Cypress. In July first responders freed a person trapped in an Ontario grain bin, and in June an ambulance and a sprayer collided near Beiseker, Alberta.

Fatalities on Canadian farms have fallen: CASA's figures show an average of 110 deaths a year between 1990 and 2005, dropping to 70 a year from 2006 to 2020. Machinery-related incidents remain the leading cause. Reporting by Diego Flammini.

Photo: Nas2 / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Source: Farms.com