New Brunswick Chapter

2019 Safety Day Events

WorkSafeNB, specifically the northwest region, is proud to host Progressive Agriculture Safety
Days™ for the third year.

The Agriculture industry is high risk – especially to youth and new workers. The Canadian
Agriculture Injury Surveillance Program has found that machinery entanglement alone accounts
for 18.5% of all injuries that require hospitalization.

“It is our hope that through fun and educational days such as these, those risks will decrease and
one day be a thing of the past,” said Angela Acott-Smith, assistant regional director of
WorkSafeNB’s northwest region. “By teaching children at a young age the importance of safety
we trust they will continue the practices into their adult lives. We need to change the way people
think. We have to create a culture that will no longer accept workplace accidents as inevitable,
but rather unacceptable!”

Progressive Agriculture Safety Day, originally founded by the Progressive Farmer Foundation in
the U.S. in 1995, provides training and resources to local communities. The fun, hands-on
approach helps children learn about the hazards and potentially deadly outcomes of unsafe
behaviour on the farm, in their communities, and at home.

Children are divided into small groups supervised by an adult or older teen leader. These groups
then rotate through various stations that cover such topics as; railroad safety, firearm safety, ATV
safety, fire safety, animal safety, sun and water safety, and tractor and equipment safety.

New Brunswick is the only Atlantic Canadian province participating in Progressive Agriculture
Safety Days.

“We may not actually see the real impact of these sessions for a few years, until these
participants are ready to join the workforce. It takes years to effect a culture change, but we are
certainly targeting the right audience with these sessions!” Acott-Smith said.

Feedback from 2008 participants submitted on evaluation forms when asked the most important
thing they learned:
• A 10-year old girl said, “Wear earplugs when you’re mowing the lawn.”
• A 9-yr old girl said, “ Not to stand in front of a PTO [power take-off].
• A 10-yr old boy said, “At a farm, don’t wear loose clothing.”
• A 10-yr old boy said, “Don’t play with matches, always wear sunscreen.”
• A 10-yr old girl said, “That if you go camping, hiking, etc. you should always tell your
guardian where you are going and take a bright plastic bag, whistle, drink, snack and
bright coloured coat.”

When asked what they would do to be safer at home or on the farm:
• A 9-yr old boy said, “ I will tell my parents to wear their seat belts.”
• A 9-yr old boy said, “Never touch chemicals at home.”
• A 10-yr old boy said, “Test fire alarms.”
• A 10-yr old girl said, “Think before doing.”
• A 10-yr old boy said, “put on sun screen, and walk farther around tractors.”

The dates and locations of the safety days for 2019;

DATE	LOCATION	VENUE
May 30, 2019	Petitcodiac	Petitcodiac Arena
June 11, 2019	Bouctouche	Centre J.K. Irving
June 14, 2019	Saint Jacques	Palladium
September 12, 2019	Florenceville-Bristol	Northern Carleton Civic Center
September 17, 2019	Bathurst	Centre K.C. Irving
September 24, 2019	Saint John	Lord Beaverbrook Rink