Cole's Ag

Beyond the Minimum: Farm, Farm Member & Contractor Found Liable Following Serious Injury The Hidden Risks of Bringing Contractors onto the Farm Safety Myth of the Month Managing Contractors on Alberta Farms: A Practical Guide How Are You Preventing Fires on Your Farm? Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Farm, Farm Member & Contractor Found LiableFollowing Serious Injury This summary is based on an incident that occurred in 2015 on a farm in Saskatchewan, and a judgment was only made this year. This case has been reported online; however, the information presented… Read More »October Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Tragedy Narrowly Avoided on a Public Road #ShareForFarmSafety Safety Myth of the Month Farming & Growing Older Are You Risk Blind? Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Tragedy Narrowly Avoided on a Public Road This summary is based on an incident that occurred earlier this summer in Ontario. While it happened outside Alberta, the situation will feel familiar to many Alberta farmers, including the author. What Happened For one sixth-generation farmer, a routine morning on the farm turned into a life-threatening collision. He woke up early, climbed into his… Read More »September Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Lessons From a Near Fatal Incident Approaching Equipment Safely Safety Myth of the Month Calm is Critical for Safety Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Lessons From a Near Fatal Incident This summary is based on an incident that occurred in central Alberta earlier this year, in which a young farm worker from New Zealand was rescued after becoming trapped in a grain bin. What Happened In May 2026, a young worker (Worker 1) was working on a farm in central Alberta through an informal agricultural exchange program. Worker… Read More »August Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: OHS Laws & a Farm’s Responsibilities for the Safety of Others Safety Myth of the Month Are You Prepared for a Severe Storm? How Are You Protecting Your Assets? Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:OHS Laws & a Farm’s Responsibilitiesfor the Safety of Others This summary is based on incidents that occurred in Saskatchewan in 2024 and 2025, and was recently covered in The Western Producer. What Happened A man was cutting grass on his property when a contracted spray plane flew over his yard while applying pesticides… Read More »July Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Lessons from an Almost Fatal Incident Safety Myth of the Month Strychnine Spotlight Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Lessons from an Almost Fatal Incident This incident on a family farm has been covered numerous times by media over the years and continues to serve as a valuable point of learning for all operations. What Happened In 1992, an 18-year-old was working alone on the farm when his shirt became caught in the tractor’s unguarded PTO shaft. Within moments, both arms were torn off just below the shoulders and… Read More »June Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Lessons from a Fatal Incident NEW Health & Safety Committee and Representative Courses Now Available! Safety Myth of the Month Youth Work Guidelines Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Lessons from a Fatal Incident This summary from a 2023 Alberta OHS investigation highlights the importance of hazard identification, assessment and control, as well as pre-use inspection and maintenance programs on the farm. What Happened In 2023, a seasonal worker was instructed to finish pressure washing the floor of a crop storage facility on a farm. As soon as the… Read More »May Newsletter

OHS in Practice: What a Recent Alberta Farm Court Case Tells Us FARMERS CARE Review #1 Is Here! Safety Myth of the Month Safety Toolbox OHS in Practice:What a Recent Alberta Farm Court Case Tells Us This article is intended to bring attention to how OHS legislation is being applied to farming and ranching operations only. What Happened In March of 2023, a farm worker was dumping gravel on a road approach to a field when the box of the truck contacted an overhead power line. The worker was standing… Read More »April Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Lessons from a Fatal Incident 2024 Agricultural Workplace Injury, Illness & Fatality Statistics Safety Myth of the Month Wildfire Prevention and Emergency Management ROPS Safety: Preventing Fatalities from Tractor and ATV Rollovers Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Lessons from a Fatal Incident This summary from a 2023 Alberta OHS investigation highlights the importance of identifying all existing and potential hazards, and of using the hierarchy of controls to eliminate or adequately control them, even when you have done that very same task before.   What Happened In June… Read More »March Newsletter

Beyond the Minimum: Lessons from a Fatal Incident Help Ensure Agricultural Voices Are Heard Safety Myth of the Month Farms, OHS Legislation & “Basic Safety Safety Toolbox Beyond the Minimum:Lessons from a Fatal Incident This summary from a 2023 Alberta OHS investigation looks at how something as common as moving agricultural fence and wind break panels can be deadly when all of the hazards have not been properly identified, assessed, and controlled.  What Happened On Feb 1, 2023, workers were moving an agricultural wind break panel using a forklift. While… Read More »February Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE Beyond the Minimum: Lessons from a Fatal Incident WHMIS Changed – Is Your Farm Caught Up? MSDs in Farming: What You Need to Know Beyond the Minimum:Lessons from a Fatal Incident This summary from a 2023 Alberta occupational health and safety (OHS) investigation shows that working from a ladder, even below a three-metre height, requires careful consideration around what can go wrong and how serious the outcome can be. Remember, just because this incident didn’t happen on a farm or ranch doesn’t mean it hasn’t, can’t or… Read More »January Newsletter