This March, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and presenting sponsor Farm Credit Canada (FCC) are encouraging all Canadians to be part of the “AgSafe Family.”
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is an annual public awareness campaign focusing on the importance of safe agriculture.
In 2017 organizers want to empower farm families with the information they need to help keep everyone safe on the farm while preserving the farming lifestyle. The campaign lasts for a week, but farm safety is important all year long.
“We are asking adults in the ag industry to demonstrate their commitment to farm safety this Ag Safety Week,” Marcel Hacault, CASA’s executive director said in a press release.
“That means leading by action, whether it’s creating safe play areas for children, or leading toolbox talks or creating your own farm safety plan.
“It’s the time to make a commitment to your farm, your family and yourself.”
As a part of CASW, organizers have produced a number of resources, including a template for building a general policy statement for farm safety and health. In celebration of CASW 2017, CASA is also making available, free of charge, the Canada FarmSafe Plan for farmers to fill out the template.
“Farm safety is a vital concern for producers, whether they are just starting out or have many years of experience,” said Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
“Continuous learning is at the core of the agriculture sector, and that’s why we’re proud to be part of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week again this year.
“We encourage farmers to get involved so that they can access a range of farm safety tools and resources.”
Farm Credit Canada is a long-time supporter of CASW and many farm safety programs. FCC shows its commitment to the AgSafe Family through not only its support of Ag Safety Week, but also through the Safety Day Coordinator Fund. This fund provides support towards the cost of hosting youth safety days across the country.
“Farm safety is critical to every producer and every farm family across Canada. That’s why FCC has such a long-standing partnership with Canadian Agricultural Safety Week,” said Michael Hoffort, president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada.
“Supporting safe farms by sharing information and resources helps farm families stay safe as they do the work they love.
Let’s make farms safer for everyone, including children.”
New for CASW 2017, is the AgSafe Ribbon campaign. This campaign aims to raise awareness on the importance of safe agriculture and asks all Canadians what role they play in farm safety. Ribbons are available to order on agsafetyweek.ca.
Both physical and online events are planned in support of CASW. For more details visit agsafetyweek.ca.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week will take place from March 12 to 18.
