Producers see a number of health and safety risks on their operation, but the majority feel their work is done safely most of the time. Unfortunately, a quarter of producers still report having had an incident (injury or close call) on their operation within the last year. Unsurprisingly, these producers are more likely to see health and safety risks on their operation and are less likely to think the work on their operation is done safely all of the time.

Producers report being motivated to continuously improve safety on their operation and most say it is the safety of people, themselves and others, that is the biggest influence on their motivation. However, for many producers this motivation is not resulting in action. Few producers are actively seeking safety information or training related to agriculture and many indicate old habits as the primary barrier to the consistent implementation of safe practices on their operation. Interestingly, producers that have had an incident on their operation report being less motivated to improve safety on their operation and their behaviour reflects this. These producers are not any more likely to have accessed safety information or training, or to have a safety plan in place on their operation.

Written safety plans are still rare. Very few producers say they have a written safety plan for their operation and although more than half do have unwritten practices and procedures in place, these unwritten ‘safety plans’ cover limited measures. Despite this, the majority of producers believe their safety plan, written or unwritten, is effective in preventing injury on their operation.

KEY FINDINGS
1. Most producers feel work is done safely on their operation.
2. Producers say they are motivated to improve safety on their operation, but it is not reflected in their safety behaviours.
3. Few producers have comprehensive safety plans, but most still feel their plan is effective in preventing injury.
4. Incidents increase producers’ awareness, but do not change behaviours.

NATIONAL RESULTS

PROVINCAL RESULTS

BACKGROUND
In February 2020, FCC Vision partnered with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to better understand safety behaviours and attitudes within the agriculture industry.

This survey was sent to a sample of 1,596 Vision panelists involved in ag production from across Canada. A total of 1,239 panelists participated in the study, representing a 78% response rate. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3% at the standard 95% confidence level.

STUDY OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted to gain insights into the attitudes and behaviours of Canadian producers with regards to agricultural safety. Specifically, looking to understand:

1. the types of risks producers see on their operations;
2. what drives safety awareness and behaviours on their operations;
3. any gaps in knowledge or training and how to best to address them;
4. links between safety practices and injury prevention; and
5. any improvements in awareness and practices since the 2016 study.