November is Fall Prevention Month. Did you know falls are the most common cause of emergency department or hospital visits in Canada? In agriculture, falls from height accounted for 5% of fatal agriculture-related injuries from 2011-2020, with 29 reported fatalities.
Legislation in Nova Scotia requires that fall-protection equipment must be used if a person is at risk of falling from a height greater than 3 meters from the nearest safe surface or water. Fall protection equipment must also be used if the height is less than 3 meters, and the work occurs above exposed hazardous material.
Falls can also be a result of slips and trips. Slips happen when there is too little traction between footwear and the surface. Trips are a result of a collision with an object that creates a loss of balance and leads to a fall.
At this time of the year, farms in Nova Scotia are subject to rain, snow, and ice, sometimes all in one day! The first line of defense in fall prevention is to eliminate fall hazards whenever possible. However, when elimination is impossible, substitution, engineering and administrative controls can be implemented. Here are some steps to prevent fall on the farm:
- Remove clutter and debris on the ground to eliminate tripping hazards
- If you have stairs on your property, always have a handrail on at least one side.
- Practice regular housekeeping to keep your farm and barn tidy.
- Clean up all spills around the workplace promptly and in areas that are consistently wet, use signage.
- Ensure that walkways are properly cleared and have traction material applied if necessary.
- For oil spills in the shop, keep commercial-grade absorbent on hand for a quick clean-up.
- Maintain your flooring and consider installing anti-slip tools such as abrasive paint-on coating.
- Be sure that nothing obstructs your view of the ground when carrying materials.
Be especially mindful of falls when entering or exiting the tractor. Maintain three-point contact with the ladder, and always face the tractor when climbing or descending. Just like any ladder, keep the steps clean and dry while wearing proper footwear. Never enter or exit a moving machine.
Sometimes you can’t control the hazard any more than you can control the weather. Areas around water troughs will always be wet, and in the winter the farmyard may be icy for months at a time. Plants in a greenhouse must always be watered, and the floor can become consistently wet as a result. Uneven terrain or exposed roots in the woodlot will always present a tripping hazard. This is why wearing proper anti-slip footwear is important. Select your footwear based on which anti-slip properties it has for the work you will be doing. Choose what offers the best protection for the job and keep comfort a consideration to reduce fatigue. Keep your footwear clean and well-maintained, and you will feel more confident with each step you take.
If you or your staff are interested in fall protection training, courses are arranged by Farm Safety Nova Scotia on an as-required basis. Contact us at (902) 893 2293, or by email at info@farmsafetyns.ca
