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New Alberta farm health and safety rules released Wednesday mean agricultural workers will be able to go to the bathroom in fields and drive equipment without wearing a seatbelt.

The technical regulations, which take effect Dec. 1, are among more than a dozen measures aimed at increasing protection for farm workers being introduced under the recently updated Occupational Health and Safety Act.

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The rules will apply to about 4,200 of Alberta’s 40,000 farms which employ approximately 14,000 people.

They were devised after almost two years of consultation with agricultural groups following an outpouring of outrage at Bill 6, which extended occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation coverage to paid non-family farm employees.

Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier admitted there was lots of “angst” about the bill, but said similar rules already exists in other provinces.