Farm Safety

Earlier this month we celebrated Ontario Agriculture Week, a time dedicated to celebrating Ontario’s hard-working farmers and the abundance of good food they produce. Did you know that Ontario is home to almost 46,900 farms that grow more than 200 agricultural commodities?

This is also a good time to discuss farm safety as farmers are busy harvesting their crops. It is important to take regular breaks, eat nutritionally, and drink plenty of fluids. Don’t forget to think safety first and never repair your equipment while it is running.

Farmers have long days when the harvest is here and as daylight get shorter they work long past dark, so make sure your lights are working, especially your hazard lights and the rotating beacon for when you have to been on the road after dark. If you are loading trucks on the side of the road it is important that the area is well lit for passenger vehicles to see you. Drivers need to be patient and share the road with farm equipment. Farmers will get out of your way as soon as possible and always take care when passing farm equipment. Farmers enjoy a safe harvest and may the bounty of your harvest make your bin overflow.