Page 38 - BCHNews-122023-Web

38 WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2023
Feed Mixer Fatality
Chad Stewart, AgSafe
A year ago, a 34-year-old Guatemalan worker sustained fatal injuries while working with a feed mixer at a dairy in Quebec. The worker was attempting to remove feed that was lodged in the mixer’s door opening while the machine was operating. His clothing became entangled in the auger, and he was pulled into the mixer. Lack of signage and guarding was cited as contributing factors to the fatality.
to working with the machinery and equipment? Was the worker told and shown how to do the job? Was the worker being watched by their supervisor while they performed the same task? Did their supervisor check up on them? Was the worker working alone? Was there anyone performing ‘working alone’ or ‘in-isolation’ check-ins?
Have you provided?
I’ve discussed this incident with several farmers in my region and it elicits the same ‘gut punch’ response at the thought of being dragged into a rotating auger. You don’t think about it because you can’t. If you think about everything that could happen, you wouldn’t get any work done.
Workplace fatalities aren’t something that happen elsewhere, they happen close to us and unfortunately more frequently than they should. In 2022 there were 181 fatalities in British Columbia. Of those 181 fatalities, 107 workers died as a result of an occupational disease (such as asbestos exposure), 48 workers lost their lives as a result of a traumatic injury (including falls from heights, struck by objects and caught in equipment and/or machinery). The remaining 26 fatalities resulted from motor vehicle incidents. (WorkSafeBC).
In BC, trends emerge when we compare serious injuries in agriculture to all traumatic workplace fatalities. Falls on the same level, falls from elevation, struck by and caught in, are the leading causes of serious injury (WorkSafeBC Serious Injuries Dashboard). Regardless of the industry, workers are being hurt by similar means.
Amidst these tragic incidents we can extract a positive. We can understand, based on similar or common incident causes, what we can do to enhance safety and decrease the numbers. WorkSafeBC mentions it repeatedly in the penalties section of their magazine – “The firm failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety.”
Was the worker in this incident orientated and trained prior
Information: Appropriate knowledge about a task for your workers.
Instruction: Detailed information about how a task should be performed safely.
Training: Hands on demonstrations about how to perform the task.
Supervision: Frequent check-ups to ensure the worker is completing the task properly and
safely.
Signage and basic safeguards can help prevent fatalities.
If I was dropped in the middle of your dairy and told to make it run, I would be overwhelmed - I’m not a dairy farmer. You’re not a health and safety professional, so I imagine it would be similar for you reading or hearing what your responsibilities are for health and safety.
So, just as I’m confident that I’ll beabletogetajugofmilkatthe
grocery store, you can be confident
that AgSafe can help you manage the
health and safety requirements on your farm.
Chad Stewart is AgSafe’s Regional Safety Consultant for the North Okanagan and Temporary Foreign Worker Specialist. AgSafe is the health and safety association for agricultural
employers in British Columbia. The role of AgSafe safety consultants and advisors is to provide workplace safety education and advice to help producers achieve long-term safety goals.
May the holidays and new year bring health, happiness and growth.
Merry Christmas from AgSafe.
AgSafe Safety Consultants and Advisors are available throughout the province to help your business when and where you need them.
1 (877) 533-1789 | AgSafeBC.ca
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