Farmers to have wcb

[farmer60]

This thread strikes a personal chord. There is no doubt family farms both large and small need to be more aware of many safety concerns. We need rational experienced local minds to come up with a non legislated means to promote increased awareness of this. I'm afraid our current political right wing shift is neither rational, experienced nor capable of doing something that is different that knee jerk regulations, that are not feasible on a family farm.

Our local 4H groups, local fire protection groups, local schools, local media, have, in the past, done some work on this topic. I'm sure there is other feasible alternatives. They need more encouragement. NOT government regulations. In my 60+ years on and AB family farm, politics can't work. We certainly can't wait, on this topic, for a change in AB politics.

[hillbillyreefer]

Originally Posted by raab

Haha that's a good one. If you had paid attention during the election you'd know who I work for and no one's paying me to lobby this site. You still haven't provided a valid reason why farms in Alberta shouldn't have to follow OH&S legislation, while they have it in some form or another in every other province? The only argument you can come up with is I don't want it. Which isn't good enough. It's not going to cost you a lot, it's going to keep your workers safe, and you don't get sued if an accident unfortunately does happen. I dont really see why all the farmers are up in arms about it. If you're concerned maybe call a farmer from Saskatchewan you know and ask him how it's effected his operation.

Your best argument is "everyone else is doing it". Then you play the emotional "think of the children" card, and get all the good sheep to fall in line.

So who is paying you and how much money will you and your friends make from screwing with farm families?

[raab]

Originally Posted by foothills26

I'm sorry but it is not the wild west. How many small farms are there in Alberta and how many accidents are actually happening. I grew up on a farm and I still have all my fingers and toes. To be honest with you I started running heavy equipment when I was 11yrs old building leases as well. I still survived. I seen fewer accidents at work back then than I do know. The safety stuff does nothing. You tell me how do I limit myself to a 14hr work day during calving season? Do I let the calves die if I am over on my hours? Do I tell the cow to hold off on giving birth until the morning? The weather is good and I have to bale hay, do I stop when my day should be done and let the rest get wet and be no good so I only have half a crop to sell? No I am going to do what I have to do to get my jobs done to support my family. Unless all of you "people looking out for my safety" want to support me then thats fine. Don't worry I will be asking the elected representatives in my area the same thing. It's more about common sense than anything. If you grow up around the stuff you learn early that stuff is dangerous. It's these people that never set foot off of a sidewalk that think that these new rules will stop stuff from happening. It's people need to get more common sense these days.

It's pretty clear to me that alot of people don't have common sense now a days. Thats why you need the safety policies to dumb it down to the lowest common denominator. And we are the wild west in Canada, all the other provinces have some sort of OH&S legislation. So we're behind in bringing it in. As for long work days etc.... I don't think that will effect you guys much they'll probably put a clause in there saying farmers can work past 16 hours on an emergency basis.

[raab]

Originally Posted by hillbillyreefer

Your best argument is "everyone else is doing it". Then you play the emotional "think of the children" card, and get all the good sheep to fall in line.

So who is paying you and how much money will you and your friends make from screwing with farm families?

I told you no one's paying me. You can't seem to think for 1 second that this might be good for farms and farmers. As I said ask any BC or Saskatchewan farmers you know how they feel about the OH&S legislation. You don't hear them crying everyday about how the government is out to get them and ruin their farms. In BC they've had this legislation for over 10 years for crying out loud and we're now just bringing it in.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by raab

It's pretty clear to me that alot of people don't have common sense now a days. Thats why you need the safety policies to dumb it down to the lowest common denominator. And we are the wild west in Canada, all the other provinces have some sort of OH&S legislation. So we're behind in bringing it in. As for long work days etc.... I don't think that will effect you guys much they'll probably put a clause in there saying farmers can work past 16 hours on an emergency basis.

What are you going to do when the farmers go on strike and your new best friend orders them back to work?

[raab]

Originally Posted by hal53

What are you going to do when the farmers go on strike and your new best friend orders them back to work?

Sunny ways Hal, Sunny ways.

[Clgy_Dave2.0]

Originally Posted by hal53

What are you going to do when the farmers go on strike and your new best friend orders them back to work?

Is that what happened in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, BC, Ontario, etc?
Did all the small farms go belly up, revolt, fall apart, and friends stopped helping out neighbours?
Everyone on here talks like the agricultural world will collapse because of these new laws.
Is that what happened to the rest of Canada?
Y'all sound like the restaurant owners when the no smoking laws were brought in.
"OMG ALL THE SMALL RESTAURANTS WILL GO BANKRUPT. PRICES WILL GO SKY HIGH. HOW WILL THE BARS AND CASINOS SURVIVE? THE WHOLE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WILL COLLAPSE.
Yet now, I don't think anyone can even imagine smoking inside a restaurant. BTW, wasn't Alberta again one of the last to convert?

[horsepower]

Originally Posted by raab

It's pretty clear to me that alot of people don't have common sense now a days. Thats why you need the safety policies to dumb it down to the lowest common denominator. And we are the wild west in Canada, all the other provinces have some sort of OH&S legislation. So we're behind in bringing it in. As for long work days etc.... I don't think that will effect you guys much they'll probably put a clause in there saying farmers can work past 16 hours on an emergency basis.

Why do you use the term "wild west"? After reading your post many times over it sounds like you are implying that the "west" is not as up to date on their thinking. That "we" (the west) are characterized as still being in a frontier period or less refined than the "east" is demeaning and shows bias.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by Clgy_Dave2.0

Is that what happened in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, BC, Ontario, etc?
Did all the small farms go belly up, revolt, fall apart, and friends stopped helping out neighbours?
Everyone on here talks like the agricultural world will collapse because of these new laws.
Is that what happened to the rest of Canada?

That depends on how far the Dippers are going to go with this...with their past history and their performance so far, I am not hopeful...do you do up and document a hazard assessment each time you start a new task in your job?

[raab]

Originally Posted by horsepower

Why do you use the term "wild west"? After reading your post many times over it sounds like you are implying that the "west" is not as up to date on their thinking. That "we" (the west) are characterized as still being in a frontier period or less refined than the "east" is demeaning and shows bias.

The wild west as in theres no rules in place. It has nothing about being derogatory just a common saying.

[Matt L.]

Originally Posted by horsepower

Why do you use the term "wild west"? After reading your post many times over it sounds like you are implying that the "west" is not as up to date on their thinking. That "we" (the west) are characterized as still being in a frontier period or less refined than the "east" is demeaning and shows bias.

He's an easterner, what do you expect?

[DiabeticKripple]

This is good for the factory farms, not for the family farms. We need to kill this bill or have it amended

[Bearsden]

Originally Posted by super7mag

Great post , your hard work will pay off, I'd say your already better educated then your Average university student taking arts and crafts.

I wonder how your supposed to feed the world from 9-5 ? Most ridiculous thing I have heard in a while now.. Utter stupidity.

Thank you very much, once I am done Gr 12 I hope to have a career involved in agriculture. I believe growing up on a farm teaches kids values like hard work and how the "real" world works- like where your food comes from and how it is grown. This is why I believe 4H is a great program as it teaches you the work involved in keeping your project going. And it would be impossible to finish harvest if you can only work from 9-5. Most farmers keeping on combining until the crop is too tough. I don't know how many times my dad baled until 4 in the morning because it was going to rain by noon and he can't wait a week or two for it to dry because there is canola to be combined or other straw that has to be baled by then. A lot of people don't know the hours put in to keep a farm running. Last January I had to wake up at 2:30 every day for 2 weeks to check bred heifers because either the calf or heifer could die if it did not calve properly.

[I-Love-Eyes]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

This is good for the factory farms, not for the family farms. We need to kill this bill or have it amended

This is exactly what I said in a previous post--write legislation that makes sense.

This bill, as it exists now, is a NDP knee jerk reaction to "keep up with the Jonses". IE: BC, Sask etc.

Not to sure how people would react if they said that all urban home owners needed to have WCB coverage, because some kid might get hurt riding their bike on the front lawn, or shoveling the snow off the driveway.

The farm is my home first and foremost, and I sure as heck take exception to some government flunky telling me how I should live my life there.

I bet more urban kids die from drug use than rural kids die in farm accidents.

[Bearsden]

Originally Posted by I-Love-Eyes

This is exactly what I said in a previous post--write legislation that makes sense.

This bill, as it exists now, is a NDP knee jerk reaction to "keep up with the Jonses". IE: BC, Sask etc.

Not to sure how people would react if they said that all urban home owners needed to have WCB coverage, because some kid might get hurt riding their bike on the front lawn, or shoveling the snow off the driveway.

The farm is my home first and foremost, and I sure as heck take exception to some government flunky telling me how I should live my life there.

I bet more urban kids die from drug use than rural kids die in farm accidents.

X2

[urcayuse]

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[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by raab

Why because I'm compassionate and would like to see farm workers protected? That doesn't make me a Liberal it makes me human.

[In a Spock to Kirk tone] : I see no evidence..........for either claim.

[spaded]

[OpenRange]

I plan to be at the meeting in my area to voice my concerns. I ranch and it should be my choice to work 15 hours or not. I don't need the government to proceed to tell me how much I choose to work.
Farms and Ranches come in all shapes and sizes and it's impossible to legislate. How many other job sites have children running around in it? Agriculture is in a class all its own when it comes to employee standards and safety. It is a truly unique industry that requires an extremely large skill set.
All deaths that occur on farms/ranches are tragic and lots can be avoided. Unfortunately every time a child dies on a farm there is an outcry for change without understanding the specifics of the situation. Around 40% of deaths are caused by being run over by machinery followed by 15% drowning and 11% vehicle rollover.http://www.abfarmsafety.com/resources/statistics.htm
I put the numbers up there because everything that happens on a farm is classed as a farm accident even though it may not be one at all. We see in the news a lot about a child running out of the house behind a parent backing out of the garage with the car and something tragic happens, unfortunately on the farm that's classed as an on farm accident. How does OH&S legislate that? We all know children sometimes have a mind of their own and can wander a little. It just meets a tragic result on farms more often because of the surrounding.
Before everyone jumps on me think for a second and respond to this question, if you had YOUR children on the farm and were watching them closely, turned away for one second and had something happen to your child. How would you feel if OH&S came to your door to investigate and then proceeded to tell you what you did wrong and possibly fine you for being unsafe after you lost a beloved family member?
You have to remember these parents paid the ultimate price and a slap on the wrist and a possible fine from OH&S is nothing compared to the loss that occurred. All farmers/ranchers want to keep their children safe but sometimes bad things happen to good people and it unavoidable. I would never deliberately put my children in a dangerous situation but I know it's not always up to me. As we saw recently it just takes 3 girls wanting to go outside to play to change someone's entire world.