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Alberta WCB/OHS

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    Alberta WCB/OHS

    The Ab. NDP Govt has alluded to over 60,000 farmers but I can't find the quote. According to the 2011 census there were 43,234 farms in Alberta with 62,050 farm operators with an average age of 54.5 years.
    In 2006 there were 7497 farms with sales of $250,000 or more accounting for 76.1% of production.
    In 2011 there were 4454 farms with over $500,000 in sales accounting for 70.6% of production.
    Cost of production was $.85 per $1.00 of sales. So the profit on a farm of that size was $.15 X 500,000 = $75,000

    Why does the NDP Govt want to impose a dysfunctional insurance system on the balance of (43,234 -4,454) 38,780 smaller family farms ???

    If the larger farms need insurance to keep us safe, then give us the option to buy 24/7 insurance with a system such as the Pink Cards for Auto insurance. WCB doesn't work for anybody.
    PS: the petition on Save our Farms is almost at !0,000

    #2
    Gopfer:

    The powers that be have been told exactly that... for almost a year that we have been 'consulted with' by OHS and WCB.

    It has been... and should remain to be... and option to be public [WCB] or have private carriers of the insurance.

    The Argument WCB gave... was that it will be LESS EXPENSIVE... if all farmers are thrown in the same pot and pooled the risk.

    OHS in SK is is place... but Brad Wall has the common sense to not put Regs in place... so OHS officers have not been an issue... as SK OHS officers have no enforcement job... only to investigate and report post accident with recommendations.

    Premier Wall has a good Balance in place. Not hopeful Alberta OHS will agree to this intelligent compromise SK/Premier Brad Wall have created.

    This can work... and with out WW3... if Premier Notley will adopt the SK template for a safety system that works to keep regulatory overreach to a minimum... and helps farms have safe work places.

    Here is to hoping calmer heads will prevail... and politics will be set aside to get through this maze!

    Cheers!

    Comment


      #3
      Tom4 were you in some kind of a focus group or something ? How broad was it ?

      Comment


        #4
        Tom4 were you in some kind of a focus group or something ? How broad was it ?

        Comment


          #5
          Crop Sector Working Group for Alberta.

          We checked other provinces to do due diligence and had MB grower on conference call to fill us in on the regulatory side for working OHS model.

          MB OHS has typically left MBfarms alone for the most part... Brave could comment.

          SK farms are mostly unaware of OHS... because of no regs to enforce.

          Comment


            #6
            Tom,
            Could you explain your comments re sk and ohs a little more. Just read the legislation and there is no mention of farms in it at all.

            Comment


              #7
              My hopes are the same as yours Tom. But my gut tells me something different.

              Comment


                #8
                Everyone is blaming Notley for the OHS/WCB but she has only been the premier since May 5, (6 and a half months) yet Tom just said for almost a year he (through the crop sector working group) has been consulted over implementing OHS/WCB. So has this been in the works before the NDP took power? Or is Tom actually a closet NDP?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Tom, sorry I can't help much for MB. I know that if you have employees there are safety audits. As well, things like eyewash stations (which are a good thing) etc are required. Also, cages around bin ladders get put on. I've heard the safety audits can be onerous on some operations.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Nudge,

                    You got it right... as I said... there have been no Sask regulations re Farm OHS put in place... OHS in Sask is free to investigate, report on accidents/fatalities, make accident recommendations... as they at OHS see needed for Sask. MB has OHS regs... as do many other provinces in Canada.

                    Clearly you got it right on OHS/WCB looking at changes in Alberta BEFORE the May 2015 election. My brother Colin and I were a part of a pilot program in Jan/Feb of 2015... to comment on and report back to our Crop Sector Working Group to how appropriate the development of the new plans were... practical implementation analysis... and expected reception by farmers in Alberta. Alberta Agriculture ran the pilot program.

                    OHS/WCB wanted to implement mandatory protocols...before the May Election...which is what the new ND Gov now is suggesting... in Bill 6 on OHS/WCB.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Are the protocols the same ones that the Working Group suggested?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Did anyone attend the meeting in grande prairie regarding the legislation?

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