Farm Safety Events Projected to Reach Over 15,000 Canadian Children and Participants
June 23, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba – The Canadian Agriculture Safety Association (CASA) is pleased to announce that over 15,000 children and participants are expected to take part in this year’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® events across Canada. This is the largest number of participants since the introduction of Safety Day events in Canada in 2002.
Marcel Hacault is the Executive Director of CASA. “In 2014, Safety Day events are being held in nine of the ten provinces. Volunteer coordinators, host committees and day-of volunteers are essential to the growth and success of this worthwhile educational program. This year, over 2,500 volunteers are expected to participate in Safety Day events. Volunteer coordinators are incredible individuals who understand that prevention is the key to ensuring a safe and healthy life for rural children,” he says.
Sponsors are vital to the success and growth of Safety Day events. This year Safety Day events will be able to reach an additional 3,000 children and participants through CASA’s partnership with TransCanada Corporation.
Susan Reynolds is the Executive Director of Programs at the Progressive Agriculture Foundation. “The Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF) is pleased to partner with CASA to provide Safety days throughout Canada. Since PAF and CASA began working together in 2002, more than 98,0000 children and volunteers have participate in Canadian Progressive Agriculture Safety Days. By the end of 2014, that number will climb to well over 100,000. This would not have been possible without the partnership between CASA and PAF.”
According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, between 1990 and 2008, 248 Canadian children died as a result of an agricultural incident. Machinery-related incidents account for the majority of fatal injuries sustained by children on the farm. Other significant causes of fatalities include drowning, being struck by objects, falling from a height and animal-related incidents.
Safety Day programming provides training and resources for communities to conduct one-day farm safety and health programs aimed at rural children. Safety Day topics are chosen by the host communities and encompass many different subjects like ATV, farm equipment, wildlife, chemical, bicycle, grain and roadway safety.
Communities that would like to host a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® in 2015 can apply online at www.casa-acsa.ca and click on Safety Days. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2014. Safety Day coordinator training is available in both official languages. For a list of 2014 Safety Day events in Canada visit casa-acsa.ca/SafetyDays.
Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® is a program of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. The Foundations mission is to provide education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier for children and their communities.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by Growing Forward 2, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative and receives additional support from the agricultural and corporate sectors including: Farm Credit Canada, the Progressive Agriculture Foundation, CHS and TransCanada Corporation. For more information, visit www.casa-acsa.ca, find us on Facebook or LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter @planfarmsafety.
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