Farming Operations / Agriculture

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• Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act applies, with some limitations and conditions, to all farming operations that have paid workers under the Act. By giving the same basic rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to paid farm workers that are already given to other Ontario workers in provincially regulated workplaces, these workers will be better protected and farms will be safer.

  Additional information can be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and from the Farm Safety Association.

Information Bulletins:

• Requirement to Report an Incident on a Farming Operation
  The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to notify certain people whenever a workplace injury, illness, or fatality occurs. This document describes those requirements, as they apply to farming operations.
• Protection for Workers on Farming Operations from Reprisals by Employers
  The Occupational Health and Safety Act protects workers from being penalized by the employer for exercising their rights under the Act, or acting in compliance with it. This document outlines what a worker can do if s/he thinks that s/he has been penalized for exercising her/his rights and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Occupational Health and Safety Policy & Programs for Farming Operations
  Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers that regularly employ more than 5 employees are required to have a health and safety policy and program. This document assist employers in understanding these obligations, and provides a sample policy.

Fact Sheets

• Information for Farming Operations: Role of the Ontario Ministry of Labour Health and Safety Inspector
• Information for Farming Operations: Enforcement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act--When Self Compliance Fails

Guides:

• Pocket Extracts for Farming Operations
  This document sets out some of the main provisions in the Occupational Health and Safety Act that apply to "farming operations".
• A Guide for Health and Safety Representatives and Joint Health and Safety Committees on Farming Operations
  This guide describes the work of health and safety representatives and committees and explains their roles and responsibilities in the workplace.
• A Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act for Farming Operations
  This guide explains what every worker, supervisor, and employer needs to know about the Act as it applies to farming operations.
   Also available in Mexican-Spanish. [483 Kb / 70 pages] 
• Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines for Farming Operations in Ontario
  Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines are available on the following topics:
  1. Tractors and other Self-propelled Farm Equipment
  2. Farm Equipment
  3. Large Animal Handling
  4. Personal Protective Equipment
  5. Falls, Slips and Trips
  6. Hazardous Atmospheres and Confined Spaces
  7. Lockout Procedures
  8. Occupational Illness

Websites:

• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
  www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/farmlabour.html
• Farm Safety Association
  www.farmsafety.ca/