A new legislation will soon require Alberta farmers to ensure their farms are equipped with proper safety plans. Emergency response, fall protection, and hazard assessments are just some of the plans that will be implemented to ensure worker safety on Alberta farms. The Alberta agriculture sector will now begin using checklists to help maintain these safety programs.

One of the largest concerns for Alberta farm and worker safety is grain bin fall protection. Alberta farmers can use the Northern Strands Grain Bin Fall Protection system to protect workers from a fall while climbing or accessing a grain bin for repairs. The user simply attaches a harness to a traveller and moves the traveller up as they climb the bin. The Grain Bin Fall Protection System meets OH&S farming requirements, is easy to use, and is cost effective all while protecting farmers, workers, or family members from a devastating fall.

Based out of Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Northern Strands provides services to Canadian farmers and mines all across the country. With safety as an integral part of operations, Northern Strands has grown over the years in order to develop this patented Grain Bin Fall Protection System. 

To learn more about farm safety and Northern Strands Grain Bin Fall Protection System, click here

To contact Northern Strands, click here

Did you know that a wire rope lanyard designed for fall arrest is not the same as a wire rope sling that is designed for lifting? 

When used as a fall arrest lanyard, wire rope by itself is unable to absorb any type of energy. Because there is no elasticity or stretch, this will subject a worker to a injury or even a potential amount of fatal arrest-force should they happen to fall while wearing it.

When wire rope is used as a connecting device, it is absolutely essential that a Personal Energy Absorber is used along with it.  A PEA should actually be used with any lanyard or connecting device that allows for potential free fall, despite the fact that the webbing or rope of some lanyard types does actually absorb small amounts of energy. 

Most jurisdictions, including Saskatchewan, prohibit fall forces in excess of 8 kilonewtons. Therefore, employers are legally required to ensure that a personal fall arrest system used by their employees is set up in order to prevent arrest forces in excess of 1800 pounds.

The amount of force a human body can withstand has not technically been verified by modern science. Less arrest force is generally easier on a person's body than more fall force. Additional information on this topic can be found here.

Wire rope slings should never be used as connecting devices in a Personal Fall Arrest System; it will subject a falling worker to more fall force than a proper energy-absorbing lanyard would.

Northern Strands provides training on both the proper use of fall arrest equipment and the proper use of rigging equipment. If you would like more information one either of these programs, please contact us.