Inaugural Kids Farm Safe Week urges communities to raise awareness

NEWS RELEASE
CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SAFETY ASSOCIATION
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The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is pleased to announce the first annual Kids FarmSafe Week, taking place May 13 to 19.

The inaugural campaign, which celebrates Nurturing the Future of Agriculture, encourages farm families, farm workers, and farming communities to #KeepKidsFarmSafe by raising awareness about health and safety risks for children and youth on the farm.

According to the latest Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR) data, between 1990 and 2020, 435 children and youth were lost to agriculture-related incidents.

“One child or youth lost to an on-farm incident is one too many. Tragically, children and youth are often the victims of farming-related accidents,” says Andrea Lear, the safety association's chief executive officer.

“This is something that as an industry we must change, which is why CASA is launching the new Kids FarmSafe Week. Our goal for this campaign is to heighten awareness about the risks for children and youth on the farm to help protect and nurture the future generations of agriculture.”

Kids FarmSafe Week features daily themes highlighting specific areas of health and safety concern for children and youth on the farm. These themes involve youth mental health, machinery safety, kids’ health, preventing falls, farm animal safety, and drowning prevention.

The weeklong campaign will also feature a webinar with valuable insights on keeping kids safe on the farm. More information about the webinar can be found at kidsfarmsafe.ca.

BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions is the presenting sponsor of this year’s Kids FarmSafe Week and a dedicated farm safety partner. BASF’s long-standing partnership with CASA includes the Safety Scouts program and online resources for farm families all available at kidsfarmsafe.ca.

"Safety is a shared value for all in the agricultural community and having a dedicated Kids FarmSafe Week will play a critical role in providing awareness and resources to help keep safety top-of-mind on Canadian farms,” says Leta LaRush, vice president, business management at BASF. “As longtime supporters of CASA’s vital work, we are grateful for the establishment of this week and anticipate its significant positive impact.”

More information about Kids FarmSafe Week, including resources, articles, and graphics, is available at www.kidsfarmsafe.ca.

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative. For more information, visit www.casa-acsa.ca, find us on Facebook or LinkedIn, or follow us on X @planfarmsafety.

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