Extension News Releases

"Would you have a plan and would everyone on your farm know what to do if an emergency occurred and you needed an ambulance, fire truck or other assistance?" Glen Blahey, provincial farm safety co-ordinator, recently asked farmers.

Blahey said producers' emergency plans plan should consider:

• Location: Can everyone involved in your operation accurately explain to emergency response personnel how to get to your farm?
• First aid: Do at least two people on your farm have basic first aid training?
• Fire control: What fire suppression equipment is available and ready for use on your farm? Has someone received training to use this equipment?
• Spill control: If you have fuel storage tanks or bulk storage of fertilizers or chemicals, what containment plan and systems do you have in place in the event of a spill?
• Evacuation: If you and your family have to leave your farm quickly, is there a plan in place for moving or monitoring livestock, machinery, feed, grain and chemicals?
• Power Failure: What provisions do you have to deal with a power outage for a sustained period of time?

"Your local fire department provides a key resource in your community," said Marilyn Lamb, Fire and Life Safety Program co-ordinator with the Office of the Fire Commissioner. "Members have intensive training not only in fire suppression, but in helping to build emergency plans for farm operations."

The development of an emergency plan serves two purposes: it identifies risk areas and provides a strategy for controlling the extent of loss should a failure occur. This plan is most effective when communicated to everyone on the farm and local emergency services personnel.

"It is critically important to protect the emergency response personnel from surprises when they arrive at the site," Lamb added. "This can be achieved by having a documented plan and hazardous materials inventory reviewed by the local fire department when you develop your plan. A well-developed emergency plan can make the difference between the control of an emergency situation and disaster."

Contact: Glen Blahey

This is the fifth in a series of news releases on agricultural safety and health produced by the provincial farm safety co-ordinator, who administers a program that assists Manitoba's agricultural community in the development of safer practices to achieve greater sustainability.