Ontario grain farmers are no strangers to innovation. From precision planting and yield mapping to automated grain handling, new technology is changing how farms operate. These tools can help producers improve efficiency and make better decisions in real time. But innovation alone does not make a farm safer. Grain farmers know that protecting a farm means protecting the people who keep it running. As planting, spraying, grain handling, and harvesting work become more technology driven, safety needs to keep pace. That focus on worker safety is reflected in the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s (MLITSD) current inspection campaign for farming and agriculture. Since April 1, inspectors have been visiting farms and agriculture service businesses. The campaign continues through March 31, 2027. “Agriculture services include crop management, farm equipment dealerships, and other suppliers,” says Kristin Hoffman, Health and Safety Consultant with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). “The scope of this campaign is much wider than the farm.” For grain producers, the focus extends across the operation, from the machines in the yard and grain handling system at the bins to employees, family members, contractors and service providers. Safety is part of innovation The campaign is intended to support compliance with Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, while reinforcing the shared role employers, supervisors, and workers play in keeping workplaces safe. The larger message is timely. As an operation adopts new equipment, expands storage, introduces automation, or brings new people on the team, safety practices also need to evolve. Documentation matters, but it is most valuable when it supports workers who understand the hazards of the job and the procedures that help prevent an incident. Innovation is helping grain farms do more with fewer people and tighter weather windows. Larger equipment, automated grain systems, GPS guidance, yield data, improved storage, and remote monitoring all offer efficiency gains. But new tools do not remove risk by themselves. In some cases, they introduce new risks if workers have not been trained, equipment is not maintained, or safe procedures have not kept up with technology. “Agriculture continues to be among the top contributors to fatalities and critical injuries in Ontario,” Hoffman says. MLITSD data cited by WSPS shows that 12 agriculture workers died and 67 suffered a critical injury in 2024-25. “Even one worker death or injury is too many.” Investing in safety is not separate from investing in innovation. Innovation can’t deliver its full efficiency benefits unless the people operating, maintaining, and working around that technology are protected. Where grain farms face risk Grain farming carries a specific set of risks shaped by the work itself: operating large equipment in narrow weather windows, moving grain through storage and handling systems, maintaining machinery, travelling on the road, and working at heights. These are familiar considerations for producers, but they can become more consequential as operations add capacity, automation, and increasingly complex equipment. “Whether it’s a tractor or combine out in the field or grain augers or conveyors, being crushed or struck by equipment or material is a top hazard in the agriculture sector,” Hoffman says. Grain entrapment is another risk for farms with on-farm storage. Grain that is not flowing freely, bridging, and problems with unloading equipment can all create situations that demand careful decision-making, when grain needs to move. That reinforces the value of planning ahead, maintaining bins and equipment, understanding the specific equipment in use, and ensuring people are trained and prepared. Falls from bins, ladders, and other elevated work areas remain a concern, along with strains and sprains related to manual material handling, repetitive work, and awkward postures. Grain dust, crop inputs, and other materials encountered in day-to-day farm work can introduce additional hazards depending on the task and conditions. Many of these risks can be managed using the same practical thinking producers apply to agronomy and equipment decisions: understand the task, recognize when conditions have changed, use the safeguards built into the operation, and adjust as work or equipment changes. A stronger operation Safety and innovation are not competing priorities. When grain producers build safety into equipment decisions, maintenance plans, work procedures, and worker training, they reduce disruptions and create a more dependable operation. Everyone goes home safe and the business benefit follows. Fewer injuries, clearer expectations, well maintained equipment, and a prepared workforce help protect the farm’s productivity, reputation, and future. Safer Farms, Stronger Businesses: WHY INNOVATION MUST PUT PEOPLE FIRST For easy-to-use tools and resources visit WSPS.CA/farmsafety 1 877 494 WSPS (9777)
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