Farmworker's death spurs call for safety law changes

The workplace death of a feedlot worker has sparked calls for the Alberta government to modernize its legislation pertaining to farm workers.

Alberta is one of two provinces where workplace safety standards do not apply to farms.

On the weekend, a fundraiser was held in Turner Valley for the family of Kevan Chandler, who died in June after he was buried in a grain silo while shovelling grain.

His family says his wife and two young children have been left in dire financial straits since.

Because workplace safety standards don't apply to farms in Alberta, his family could not qualify for assistance such as Workers Compensation and his wife, Lorna Chandler, found herself barely able to make ends meet.

"It's been horrible not having any sort of help," Chandler said.

The Chandler family has the support of the Farmworkers Union of Alberta, which says it wants to send a message to the province.

"This killing could have been prevented had he been protected by the occupational health and safety regulations," said Eric Musekamp, the group's president.

Provincial Agriculture Minister Doug Horner has said the government will review programs pertaining to farm workers.

However, some industry leaders say they should drive the review, not the government, because of the potential costs.

Rod Scarlett of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers says given the varying sizes of Alberta farms, individual operations are in a better position to decide the best ways to protect their workers.

"I think we have to be very careful if we're starting to look at legislating components that cost money to all farm operations," Scarlett said.

In the meantime, Lorna Chandler will lean on friends and family for support as costs pile up in the wake of her husband's death on the farm.

Turner Valley is about 84 kilometres southwest of Calgary.