Quick Links
Customer Centres
Agriculture experts meet to discuss farm challenges
Penticton, B.C., June 25, 2007 — The delivery of agricultural health and safety services to owners, supervisors and workers on B.C. farms is one of the plenary session topics for the National Institute for Farm Safety (NIFS) Conference hosted by the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association (FARSHA).
Opening today at the Penticton Lakeside Resort and Convention Centre the Conference brings together over 130 American and Canadian researchers, social marketers and health and safety specialists to examine all areas of agricultural health and safety.
NIFS President Murray Madsen commented, “Families and workers on well over 2 million farms and ranches in the US and Canada benefit from the work of members of the National Institute for Farm Safety. Individually, we devote ourselves to addressing injuries and illnesses on farms and ranches, proposing technical solutions, and fashioning educational training programs. Collectively, we come together at this annual conference to build our knowledge, skills, and expertise to better serve the safety and health interests of those engaged in agriculture.”
FARSHA develops and delivers health and safety services to the agricultural industry in BC through training programs on and off farms while NIFS provides national and international opportunities for sharing information about research and intervention programs, improving professional skills and knowledge and support services.
Bruce Johnson, General Manager and Director of FARSHA when welcoming the delegates says, “The challenges in the agricultural field are enormous. Sharing the knowledge gained through research helps us develop better programs to improve the health and safety of our workers.”
WorkSafeBC statistics show that 20 workers lost their lives in agricultural-related accidents and 183 workers were seriously injured between 2001 and 2005. The human and financial costs were also high: more than 221,000 work days were lost and approximately $43 million paid in agricultural sector claims costs.
Don Dahr, WorkSafeBC's Industry and Labour Services Manager responsible for agriculture said, “British Columbia's agricultural employers and workers are no longer a homogenous group – there are differing cultures and ages – which have to be recognized when communicating what constitutes an appropriate health and safety program. I'm pleased that this Conference addresses those topics.”
This year's conference theme “Applying What We Know” has three main plenary tracks: “Knowledge Transfer” will discuss practical use of the knowledge gained through research; “Effective Use of Social Marketing” the behavior barriers to health and safety in agriculture and the use of social marketing to become more effective; and, Agricultural Health and Safety Program Delivery and Implementation” effective methods of implementing the programs created at the “grass roots” and national levels.
NIFS is an organization dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals, providing national and international leadership in preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses to the agricultural community. NIFS provides opportunities for sharing information about research and intervention programs, improving professional skills and knowledge, networking and other supportive activities.
FARSHA's mandate is the development and provision of health and safety services to BC agriculture, through the development of training programs for employers, supervisors, and workers – on or off-site.
Serving 2.2 million workers and about 188,000 employers, WorkSafeBC is a provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors and funded by employers. WorkSafeBC was born out of a compromise between BC's workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers or fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to a safe and healthy workplace and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits to workers injured as a result of their employment.
|
For more information please contact: |
| Gladys Johnsen
|