Group promotes farm safety, accident prevention

When Neil Enns lost his hand in a farming accident 11 years ago, he didn’t lose his spirit or love of farming.

Instead, his accident provided the inspiration for a project that has benefited countless others in Manitoba.

“I was still in the hospital, and I asked the doctor where the nearest support group was,” Enns said.

Enns’s doctor told him there were none in rural Manitoba.

“He told me I should start one,” said Enns, who lives in the Elm Creek area.

After talking it over with his wife, Enns got together with three other disabled farmers in the area and arranged a schedule of monthly meetings for the winter months.

“Before winter was over we had 40 members,” said Enns. “From then it’s just kept growing and never stopped.”

The support group evolved into a much larger project, focusing not only on supporting disabled farmers, but also on preventative education for farmers and their families. The group became known as Manitoba Farmers With Disabilities.

The MFWD produces educational material on farm safety for farmers and families, attends agricultural events and safety days and speaks at various conferences and meetings across the province.

Enns said awareness about farm safety and accident prevention has grown drastically over the past five to 10 years.

In 2002, the MFWD participated in six safety days at schools across the province. Last year the organization was asked to attend 28 safety days.

“Manitoba should really be proud of how we’ve come along,” said Jill Stafford, who has been with the organization for just over a year.

Enns and Stafford both say one of their group’s main goals is to encourage parents to get involved and learn about farm safety with their children.

The MFWD’s latest project, a farm safety colouring book, was designed to do just that.

“If you can reach the kid, you somehow reach the adult too,” Stafford said.

Enns agrees.

“The kids are going to start teaching the parents,” he said with a chuckle. “We’re seeing this more and more.”

The coloring book has already been distributed to more than 4,000 children in the province.

Justin Morison, who grew up on a farm near Fannystelle, got involved with the coloring book project because he feels it’s important to begin teaching farm safety at a young age.

“You’ve gotta start early with the kids, said Morison, who produced all of the illustrations for the book.

“You grow up with certain stuff on the farm,” he said, “and kids need safety education. “This is making it fun.”

The MFWD has been working closely with the government on their farm safety initiatives, but Morison said he’d like to see more government funding for injury prevention and awareness.

“Everyone is trying to do the same thing — reduce injuries,” he said. “But you need that voice in the middle.”

Enns agrees, saying that the government focuses too much on regulations and research, and not enough on preventative strategies.

“Research is 10 years down the road,” Enns said. “We need to do something now.”

For more information on MFWD, visit www.fwdmanitoba.com