Friday, March 29, 2024

Farm dairy: high risk area

Avatar photo
Chemicals, hot water, rotating platforms, pumps, wet areas, electricity, motors and livestock mean farmers can’t take health and safety issues in the dairy lightly. About 300 ACC claims are made each year for injuries in the dairy.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

With the experience of helping with milking machine installation, repairs, and testing over the last 10 years, I have put together my top 10 safety considerations in the dairy. They have been chosen for their importance, being under-rated, or under-used. No apology is made for including the obvious where there is blatant disregard for safety, because the risk is high and the penalty can be a fatality. This list is by no means complete – there are other factors which take higher priority but have not have been so obvious outside milking times.
Guards:
After all these years there are still motors and pumps in dairies which are unguarded. Fit a guard to all exposed shafts, belt and chain systems, before someone is injured or killed. No excuses. In making a guard, make sure the guard is easy to remove, so tasks like belt inspection and tensioning are more likely to be done.
Plant and platform disabling system:
A way of disabling machinery and notifying this is a must. Rotaries are a special case, because there are usually several places from where the platform can be turned on, while a staff member or technician can be under the platform carrying out maintenance. The platform or piece of equipment must be disabled, with an in your face “Do Not Start” sign in all appropriate places. Pulling fuses will disable machinery but won’t stop someone inadvertently reactivating them.
Hot water:
Fitting hot water cylinder valves as high as is practical, out of reach of young children, with locking handles, and lagging exposed hot pipework, will reduce the risk of scalding. A hose fitted to the valve outlet will prevent a waterfall of hot water when the valve is opened. The hose should extend to below gumboot level.
Switch labelling:
Many rotary consoles have switches for the plant, platform speed and direction, backing gate, washdown pump, cooler pump, and other equipment. In some cases labelling is non-existent. While farm staff might be familiar with them all, casual milkers and service people can, for example, easily set the backing gate on its way instead of rotating the platform.
Animal handling facilities:
Some procedures like AI, vaccinating and tail painting can be carried out from a platform in the bail area, while others like hoof treatment are best carried out in purpose-made facilities. Treatment platforms should not consist of a stack of pallets, but a sturdy structure with a decent area on which to work, hand-rails and steps, and lockable wheels if portable. There are a range of cattle restraining bails on the market which allow procedures like hoof treatment to be carried out relatively safely.
Visitors:
These range from technicians who know more about the plant than you, to children who must be supervised at all times. Rotary dairies often lend themselves to having a children’s room in the corner near the cups-on operators. Many dairies now ask that all visitors log in and log out.
Noise:
Vacuum pumps are usually the loudest piece of equipment in the dairy. Ear muffs should be worn by anyone working close to them, so have a pair nearby. For milkers the sound can be reduced by keeping the door shut, or sound-proofing the vacuum pump area.
Protective gear:
Gloves, safety glasses, ear muffs, harnesses and masks are provided at many dairies but they are often not used when they should be. Some stern guidance is needed here.
Repairs and maintenance:
While a lot of dairy maintenance is left to service technicians, farmers should not ignore easily fixed work that poses a threat. Near electric motors is a common place for birds to make nests. These are a fire risk and easily removed. Broken stop-start cords for rotary platforms limit the milkers’ ability to stop the platform and again can easily be repaired. Algae on floors is dangerous and easily removed.
Attitude:
People take risks in dairies for the same lame reasons that most of us do, just like risking a traffic ticket. These include laziness, ignorance, risk attraction, bravado, inconvenience and complacency. But like all risk-taking, the chances of, and consequences of, risk-taking must be weighed up against the benefit, which in the dairy is insignificant. For people in dairies, though the chances might be slim, the consequences can include loss of income, serious injury, or death. Electricity, machinery, hot water, chemicals and cows often take no prisoners. It is up to the boss to provide the equipment, training, and incentive to keep staff safe and healthy, and up to staff to follow their lead.

There is further information on safety in the dairy at www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/guidance-by-industry/agriculture/guidance

Total
0
Shares
People are also reading