Once again a tragic accident on mushroom farm has highlighted the issue of safety in the industry.
The accident may have happened far away in British Columbia, but the message could not be starker - the risks on farm anywhere in the world are high if safety precautions are not taken at all times.
With three farm workers dead and two critically injured by a toxic fume release during a composting process on farm in a back utility room at Farmers' Fresh Mushrooms Inc in Langley - this could be one of the worst mushroom farm accidents ever recorded.
WorksafeBC, formerly the provincial Workers' Compensation Board, and the British Columbia Coroners Service along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are all investigating in the incident. Every time a death occurs on a mushroom unit, no matter where it is, it should be a reminder to all growers to upgrade and /or review safety measures on their own premises.
The Langley Farm Workers fund has been set up at Community Savings Credit Union.
