Ian Cushon’s recent purchase of an aerial lift aligns with the objectives of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week.
The week of awareness, created by the Canadian Agriculture Safety Association, aims to create empowering conversions about farm safety among producers across Canada. The campaign is held annually through the third week of March.
Cushon, who farms in the RM of Moose Creek, said the lift would be a great asset to his 4,500-acre organic grain operation,
“I’d been thinking about a lift just for accessing bins. Sometimes we have to go up to probe bins, and it’s not a very safe job.”
The frequency of height-related injuries in grain farming is what inspired Cushon’s investment.
“It’s a fairly common accident and one that is not 100 per cent preventable, but with a safety harness and a lift, I think it reduces the risk, and the reality is, the older you get, the chances of you doing something that doesn’t work out too well on a ladder, working on a bin, goes up. Even for younger people, it can be a risky thing to be up on a bin, especially when it’s cold and icy or wet,” he commented.
Although he has never fallen off of a bin himself, Cushon, like most farmers, has encountered some scary situations.
“I’ve been up on bins and have had my ladder blow down. I always take a cell phone up with me in case.”
He also shared that he fell into a bin several years ago when cleaning it out, while walking along a slippery horizontal aeration tube. This experience left him a bit stunned.
Cushon explained that farmers are often fatigued and facing high-pressure situations when precautions are not taken and accidents occur.
The Cushons host new European trainees each year through the International Rural Exchange Program.
“Some of them come with less English skills than others, and it’s very important to make sure that they understand what their task is and that they’re aware of any particular safety issues that are unique to the task that they’re working on.”
Additionally, he explained that “often it’s relatives and family members who are not properly trained, getting put into positions of doing jobs that they aren’t really familiar with [who are at risk].”
These risk factors emphasize the need for accessible safety equipment in agriculture.
Cushon purchased the used aerial lift from a rental company. He believes that the lift will provide ease and convenience in his work.
“We’ll use it for a range of things but [mainly] bin access and working on buildings. Even things as simple as changing a lightbulb in a farm shop is best done from something more stable than a ladder,” he said.
“I think farmers are more safety conscious now than they have been, but I wouldn’t say that everyone is that way. It kind of depends on the type of farm, the size of the farm, and if people have employees or not. But as far as I know, farming is still one of the highest risk occupations there is.”
Cushon highlighted how important it is for farmers to consider the little time spent taking preventative measures versus the significant amount of time lost if an injury did occur.
You can participate in Agricultural Safety Week by visiting the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association’s website.
