Horticulture is labour-intensive. The Foreign Agricultural Resources Management Service administered the paperwork and flights for almost 18,000 workers in Ontario last year. This number didn’t include almost 2,000 transfers. As Ken Forth, OFVGA chair of the labour section reported at the annual general meeting, more than 9,000 workers had been processed for 2016. That’s an excellent start to smooth operations for what will be the 50th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program.

“Growers, keep up the good work on early Labour Market Impact Assessment applications,” said Forth. “Your order needs to be in at least 14 weeks before you need workers.”

One of the new requirements for workplace health is the Ontario ministry of labour requirement that all workers must wear noise protection guards for workplaces in which there is noise above 85 decibels. For a gauge on what that means, hearnet.com says that city traffic inside a car registers about 80 decibels, a power mower registers 107 and a power saw registers 110 decibels. Sustained exposure to 90-95 decibels can cause permanent hearing damage. That regulation comes into effect July 1, 2016.

Guest speaker Elizabeth Mills shared some of the work that her organization performs in the horticultural sector. As president and CEO of Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), she pointed out that falls from heights are the most worrisome out of a list of 10. 

Work is underway for a risk assessment project with greenhouses. In workshops conducted with greenhouse employers and employees last fall, the two groups identified the top ten risks – independently. That’s good news for everyone to be on the same page.

“You have already communicated to workers what the risks are,” said Mills. “Now you’re ready to start on solutions.” 

A greenhouse industry guide will be developed for safety, based on more industry consultations this month. In turn, that guide will be used to train ministry of labour inspectors. 

WSPS has more resources on its website, www.wsps.ca/farmsafety Specifically, look for Spanish resources (Seguridad Agricola) and online courses for orienting new agricultural workers to health and safety issues. 

key words:  workplace health and safety standards, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services