The British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association, serving 325 members, has announced an additional incentive of $250 per member that becomes safety certified through AgSafeBC’s Certificate of Recognition (COR) for on-farm worker safety program. The incentive is increased to $500 for members with more than 50 acres of tree fruits.

An employer’s commitment to a healthy and safe workplace results in decreased injuries, increased employee loyalty, morale, productivity and profitability. The COR program highlights risk assessment, processes and checklists that help make a safer workplace – one with fewer injuries and less lost time to accidents.

Tony DiMaria, a participant in the COR program prior to retiring from growing tree fruit, noted that the program does require paperwork and time, which essentially balanced out his effort and the savings in premiums. The checklists and documentation are important in reminding supervisors and employees about the basic safety checks needed for a safe workplace.

“COR made my workplace safer,” noted DiMaria. “I want to know, if a serious accident ever were to happen, that I did everything I could to ensure my farm was as safe as it could be. The COR program gave me that assurance.”

Since then, the COR program has been streamlined. Now the BCFGA is encouraging members to participate.

The $250 to $500 BCFGA COR incentive increases the level of savings for members for a total projected benefit of $750 to $1,750 per farm. Regardless of the monetary savings, COR can help prevent the human cost of accidents.

How does it work?

After an individual decides to participate, contact is made with AgSafeBC. A team member will schedule a free GAP analysis of your current safety plan. The process takes several steps, preparing the farm safety system – focusing on education, awareness and keeping appropriate records. The COR program takes about six months to complete. It’s up to the grower to make the commitment and to determine how fast to proceed in attaining the COR certificate.

When finished, the BCFGA grower-member will complete a short application to receive the $250 to $500 incentive.

Source:  British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association August 12, 2022 news release