NDP seeks farmer feedback
By Kate Ayers
Staff Reporter
The Alberta government released farm health and safety (OHS) recommendations on Thursday as part of its review of, and revisions to, Bill 6.
The government had the final reports since March but only released them to the public last week. This timing was selected so as to not burden farmers during the busy harvest season, Christina Gray, labour minister, said in a CBC News article on Thursday.
The report is nearly 200 pages long, outlining 142 recommendations. The full report has been posted online here.
A general summary of the recommendations can be found here.
According to the Government of Alberta, common themes among the 142 recommendations are:
- “the need for government to provide financial support to the industry to help comply with OHS Code requirements;
- the need for the creation of an industry-led health and safety association to act as a coordinating body;
- the need for a comprehensive communications strategy; and
- the importance of education and training to help employers comply with the OHS Code, and that these resources should be extended to family farms that are not covered by the OHS legislation.”
The report also discusses the cost of implementing OHS rules on farms and the potential for government support, according to Thursday’s Edmonton Journal article.
“We’ve looked at, with interest, all the recommendations that the technical groups have put forward,” Gray said to CBC.
“We’re very interested in hearing from Albertans.”
Passed in December 2015, Bill 6 required producers to offer Worker’s Compensation Board coverage to their staff, according to CBC.
The controversial bill sparked debate across the province, prompting the government to excuse family members and children from the WCB coverage.
His government has made mistakes in the past regarding Bill 6, Agriculture Minister Oniel Carlier said to CBC.
“Our new government learned some tough lessons,” he said.
And Carlier expanded on those lessons in an emailed statement to Farms.com.
“Farmers and ranchers are passionate about safety and they are very open to making their operations even safer.
“(Second), taking the time to get regulations right is important to the farming and ranching community, and we have always said that’s what we would do and that’s what we’re doing on this file.
“(Third), farming is more than a job – it’s also a way of life and this government recognizes that,” Carlier said to Farms.com today.
As a result, the government is looking for feedback from Alberta producers before revising the law further. Albertans have 11 weeks to provide input.
“A great deal of work has been done, but a great deal remains,” Carlier said to CBC. “Today is one more way we’re keeping our promise to Albertans to consult.”
Albertans can provide feedback online here or email farmandranch@gov.ab.ca.