Ag consulting business is all about safety

MOSES LAKE — A recent worker’s safety day held in Royal City by Conner Consulting Services shows the need for Robin Conner’s business.

About 90 farm workers, representing 10 farms, attended the event. The day included cholinesterase blood testing done to measure pesticides in a worker’s body, respirator mask fits, basic pesticide training, first aid recertification and a conflict resolution class.

The conflict resolution class was “a real hit,” Conner said.

Workers performed skits and role played work problems, which can be as common place as having a new worker on board who’s working slower than the others and irritating co-workers.

She mentioned how stress plays into conflict, as it makes it more difficult to handle a situation correctly the first time. For farm workers, the stress can arise during the crunch time of harvest when they’re getting paid by the bin.

“We feel stress is the leading cause of why accidents happen,” she says.

Conner’s business opened in May 2004. Some of her clients include packing houses, dairies, a grain house and orchards.

“I take small to medium sized businesses and run their safety programs for them,” she explained. It’s because the businesses cannot afford a full-time safety officer.

She worked for the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for 10 years as a safety consultant. Previously, as a correctional officer for seven years, she worked as a safety coordinator during that time.

“A good portion of my life has been spent doing safety,” she said.

Her current work entails keeping up to date on the safety laws and regulations, attending training, spending time in the field conducting safety meetings and performing safety inspections.

“Safety is everywhere you go,” she explained.

Conner added safety interconnects, as it is present at home, at work and at play.

Conner said she believes in safety and didn’t get to spend time with the employees when working for L&I. Instead, her work was done with the employer.

“I felt I could do more with overall safety by doing it myself, rather than being loaded down with paperwork,” she noted.

Conner commented she most enjoys seeing employees understand what he is teaching them.

“I enjoy doing agriculture and I realized with this economic downturn that this is the better place to be,” she says.

After all, people have to eat, she added.

Conner held another safety day in Yakima for about 125 farm workers.

For more information, call 509-989-5400 or e-mail robin@connersafety.com.