Farm Credit Canada launches new safety initiative

REGINA, SK, February 24, 2003 - Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has launched a new project to help improve safety on farm-related worksites across the country.
FCC is working with the Newfoundland Dairyman’s Association and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to distribute a series of safety signs to farms and agribusinesses.
The signs, in both official languages, represent common farm hazards such as farm chemical storage and heavy machinery operation areas. Using colour, symbols and text, each sign highlights a hazard and how to avoid it. The signs were developed for a wide audience including children, people from a variety of cultures and those who cannot read.
“Farm visitors and emergency response personnel should always know about the presence and location of hazards before these hazards can cause harm,” said CASA Chair, Judy Guernsey. “Since many producers were consulted throughout the country, we believe the signs will be well-accepted. This shows what can be accomplished with a little ingenuity.” The joint project received support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Safety Program.
Newfoundland Dairyman’s Association project coordinator, Ron Walsh, says forming partnerships to achieve a common goal is a benefit to the entire agricultural community. “By making farm safety signage consistent throughout Canada, we are providing the agriculture industry with the opportunity to make farm hazards instantly identifiable,” said Walsh. According to Walsh, there are no consistent sign standards to identify potential danger areas on farms and agricultural work sites. “My hope is that this project will be the catalyst to develop consistent safety signage on Canadian farms.”
“FCC is committed to giving back to the communities where our customers live and work,” said FCC President and Chief Executive Officer John Ryan. “By focusing on farm safety, we hope to improve the health of people working on farms and in agribusinesses across Canada.” FCC is also a partner in a number of other safety initiatives including Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and First Aid on the Farm Training with St. John Ambulance.
As Canada’s leader in agricultural financing, FCC helps Canadian farmers and agribusiness operators grow, diversify and prosper. Operating out of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, the corporation’s employees are passionate about the business of agriculture. FCC’s healthy portfolio of $8.6 billion and nine consecutive years of portfolio growth are a reflection of our customers’ success.