Serving Breakfast and Information

Sunday, 3 March 2019 06:54

The Grand River OHS put on their second annual free farm breakfast.

WOODSTOCK - The farming community were treated to a free breakfast from Grand River Occupational Health and Safety.

The event was held inside the Royal Canadian Legion in Woodstock on March 1st, bringing farmers and people in agriculture from Oxford County to learn and discuss different topics in the farming industry, including farm safety compliance and mental health.

Founder and Vice President of Grand River OHS, Wes Mazur says it's important that farmers are aware of what's going on in their industry, particularly when it comes to health and safety.

"By and large, the regulations that apply to true farming operations are very minimal. However, if they're selling stuff from the farm lane they become an industrial establishment. If they're putting some electrical up or building a new barn, or expanding or digging the irrigation trench, they very quickly become a different type of regulated workplace, such as construction. It's very important. Myself being a former regulatory safety officer, so enforcing the act and the regulations, (have) been to court my fair share of times, actually myself and the lawyer speaking (today), we've investigated a number of critical injuries and fatalities, some of which involved farms. So it's better to be proactive, understand what the minimum requirements are, ask for the help if you need it ahead of time."

Mazur says he hopes farmers can help spread more awareness.

"So what I really hope is they help spread the word a little bit, what did they take away from the event. I'm pretty sure you'll see some surprised faces leaving the doors for this event today, especially understanding when a farm is not actually a farm anymore, when it turns into a construction site, when it turns into an industrial establishment because that's not public information, that's really sort of by circumstance and by experience. So I hope they can take that, share the word with their neighbours, with their families, spread the word throughout the community for farm and agriculture."

This was the second year in a row that Grand River OHS held the event.

The free information session featured presenters speaking on a variety of topics, including Mazur, legal counsel John Illingworth of Ogletree Deakins law firm and members of the Oxford County Federation of Agriculture.