Farms can be one of the deadliest places to work, with 5 people tragically losing their lives on Ontario farms in 2023 alone.
But there is some positive news.
The 10-year average of fatal farm accidents between 2014 and 2024 was 7.8, which is down from an average of 29 people killed on Ontario farms annually between 1990 and 2008. (1)
Learn more about farm insurance here.
Let’s keep driving these numbers down by practicing safe farm habits such as:
- Pass slow-moving farm equipment at the right times, safely. It can be frustrating when you find yourself behind a slow-moving tractor, but the reason they do not move over to the shoulder of the road is that this can be dangerous for large equipment. (2) Take a deep breath, be patient and wait for a clear and safe time to pass.
- Inspect, repair and maintain farm equipment. Not only will this extend the life of your equipment and result in less need for a farm equipment insurance claim, the bigger benefit is that it will prevent equipment-related injuries on the farm.
- Training and educating everyone who spends time on the farm. Farm workers should be very familiar with the tasks and equipment they’ll be involved in before starting work, especially all safety features and techniques. Safety education also extends to family and visitors to the farm because it’s easy for an inexperienced person to find themselves in a dangerous situation.
- Wait until children are at least 16 years old before asking them to perform certain tasks on the farm. Some farm chores take a certain level of physical, mental and emotional maturity to be performed properly and safely. Referring back to item #3 above, sometimes the best teacher is time and experience.
- Wear the proper attire for the job. This means avoiding loose clothing to prevent getting snagged in moving equipment and wearing things like protective eyewear, ear plugs and gloves with grip when performing certain tasks.
- Be rested by taking breaks. A tired worker is a dangerous worker. Make sure you and anyone you have working alongside you take regular breaks for rest to avoid some of the fatigue-related mental and physical mistakes.
- Work during the day. Daylight savings time was first introduced in Canada on July 1st, 1908 in Port Arthur Ontario (now Thunder Bay) to “save energy and make better use of daylight”. (3). Farmers (and roosters) have known the importance of daylight well before 1908, recognizing how much easier and safer it is to perform farm operations when the sun is shining. Light is a top safety tool!
HOW TO PREVENT BY-STANDER RUN-OVER ACCIDENTS
Sadly these types of accidents are the #1 cause of childhood fatalities on Canadian farms but many can be prevented if we practice things like:
- Educating the young on farm safety
- Never allow a second rider on tractors
- Reducing speed whenever near other people
- Checking in all directions before moving
Learn more about keeping kids safe on the farm here.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
SOURCES:
2. ofa.on.ca
