Agriculture ministry applies an OHS Code to include waged, non-family workers. To help offset safety compliance costs, a grant is being offered to Alberta farmers and ranchers. Learn more below.
Farms and ranches have long held the tradition of the ranch-hand or farm-hand — the non-family worker employed to assist the family with their operations. Tasked with jobs and situations that require safety measures as much as any family member, the fact that the waged non-family workers hasn’t always been covered by occupational health and safety act and regulation was an odd oversight in Canada for many years.
Farm Health and Safety Producer Grant Program
Since 2016, however, waged workers working at Canadian family-based operations have been eligible to receive workers’ compensation for injuries occurred on the farm or ranch job-site.
Now on December 1, 2018, the Alberta ministry of Agriculture & Forestry have actioned the Farm Health and Safety Producer Grant. This grant offers financial assistance to farms and ranches employing waged workers to improve their workplace in order to comply with Alberta’s OHS safety code. This grant will be in place to address workplace equipment, safety training and workplace hazards. It specifically addresses the safety needs for waged-workers, and therefore does not apply to farm kids doing their chores or participating in 4-H club, neighbours helping neighbours, or family members working on the farm. The Farm Health and Safety Producer Grant program is meant to help offset the costs as the industry works towards compliance with the Alberta OHS code. The grant is expected to run until March 2021.
Grant Details
The grant program is actioned within the new OHS requirements for the province of Alberta. It is a result of considerable consultation with farmers, ranchers and others in the industry to give ranch-hands and farm-hands the same OHS rights and protections as other workers, while at the same time preserving the unique way-of-life in rural communities.
The grant will pay for 50% of your health & safety program. Any business in Alberta with twenty or more workers MUST have a Safety Program; all others must have documentation in place that meets the requirements of the OHS legislation.
Workforce Compliance Safety can assist with a Safety Program to help ensure your farm is a safe place to work.
Learn more about the Farm Health and Safety Producer Grant program
Overview: Occupational Health and Safety: Farm and Ranch
Industry-specific OHS rules come into effect on December 1, 2018, and include the following topics relevent to Alberta farmers and ranchers and their hired hands:
- Basic Safety Standards
- Equipment Technical Rules
- Hazards Technical Rules
- Training and Safe Work Policies
Learn more about the Alberta Farm and Ranch OHS Code
Leave a Reply