Safety on the farm

Workplace accidents injure and sometimes kill workers. They also cost industry millions of dollars a year. Most of these accidents need not happen if there is careful planning and awareness.

Accidents are caused by hazards and people who do not know how to recognise, reduce or eliminate the risk.

A hazard is anything which has the potential to cause injury or sickness.

The identification and management of workplace hazards is a joint responsibility between you and your employer where you must help each other to provide a safe workplace for everyone.

The three steps with dealing with a hazard are: Recognise the hazardReport the hazardRemove or resolve the hazard.

Hazards and Risks

Hazard Anything that may cause an accident, injury or illness. Hazards include things like a missing belt guard, PTO shafts, grain dust, stock, high noise levels and quad bike rollovers.

Risk What can happen as a result of the accident, injury or illness caused by the hazard

Hazard Identification

There are a number of hazards that can occur in moving, working with or feeding livestock. These hazards need to be identified and the risks involved minimised or preferably eliminated. Some of the more common hazards include: Manual handling - lifting feed, lifting stock, moving machinery Animal handling - physically catching and treating animals Dust inhalation - grain dust and yard dust Noise - feed processing and mixing machinery. Trips and slips - muddy, wet conditions. Sun and heat - sunburn and heatstroke. Machinery and moving parts. Sharp edges - broken wires and rails etc. Toxic substances.

Hazards should be identified and the risk assessed so that the higher risk activities can be dealt with before

WorkCover provides a Risk management Assessment Matrix to assist in the assessment of hazards in the workplace. Hazards can be rated on a scale of 1 to 6 using the risk assessment matrix.1 is high risk6 is low risk Once a hazard has been identified and the risk assessed, suitable control measures should be put in place to eliminate the risk to employees’ health and safety.

 

1. How severely could it hurt someone?   OR How ill could it make someone?   

 

2. How likely is it to be that bad?    

        ++

Very LikelyCould happen at any time  

        +LikelyCould happen some time   

 

-UnlikelyCould happen but very rarely  

      --

Very unlikelyCould happen but probably never will 

!!!!Kill or cause permanent disability if ill health

 1

 1

     2

  3

!!!Long term illness or serious injury 

  

1  

2  3

  4

!!Medical attention and several days off work

  

2  

  3  

   4 

   5 

!

First aid needed 

      3

 

  4 

  5  

  6 

The risk assessment matrix

Hierarchy of Control Risk management should follow the hierarchy of control. This is a list of the best way to manage risk in order from most effective to least effective.

The hierarchy of control is: Elimination - remove the hazard all together Substitution - replace the operation with a safer one Engineering controls - guards, handrails, roll frame Administration procedures - training, signage Use of PPE(personal protective equipment) - dust masks, hat, helmet, long sleeve shirt

Risk AssessmentThe following is a sample risk assessment for the procedure of vaccinating cattle

Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs

Employers should provide a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). This is a document outlining the correct operating procedures for any given piece of equipment or operation. These documents should be placed in a position near the equipment or operation that they are intended for, so that they can be easily read.

Responsibilities

Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the

workplace is a safe place to work.

Workers must cooperate with their employer by

undertaking training and following safe workplace policies

and procedures.

If workers see a situation that could become dangerous to

themselves or others in the workplace, they must act to

protect their health and safety and report the matter to

their employer or workplace healthy and safety person.

Personal Protective Equipment Many jobs in agriculture and horticulture require people to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

Manual handling The most common types of manual handling injury is back injury.It is important to use correct lifting techniques to avoid this.

Workplace emergencies

Each workplace should have written emergency procedures. By knowing these and having practised them regularly you will be much better placed to: • protect yourself from harm or injury• help others avoid injury• aid someone who has been injured• reduce the effects of an emergency situation.