Dairy Farm Safety short course offered by University of Minnesota Extension this winter

By Jerrold Tesmer

Fri, Dec 28th, 2012
Posted in All Agriculture

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Agriculture ranks third in the total number of fatal work injuries behind construction and transportation/warehousing. It ranks first in the rate of non-fatal injuries per thousand workers and in this category, it is more than double the rate of the next two industries, mining and transportation/warehousing. Agriculture is a dangerous business, and not only do we work in it, but many involved live in it as well.

While all farm types have hazards, dairy farms have added hazards to which workers are exposed every day – livestock, machinery, wet surfaces, hazardous cleaning chemicals, occasional inclement weather, confined spaces, manure storage, and more. These all add up to the reason the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have begun taking a closer look at dairy farms in many areas of the country. While most industries are accustomed to OSHA rules and audits, it is rather new and unfamiliar to agriculture.

University of Minnesota Extension in cooperation with the Center for Dairy Farm Safety (University of Wisconsin-River Falls) is offering a series of two-day short courses around Minnesota. The purpose of these courses is to help dairy farmers more fully understand and identify the hazards that exist around their farms, and develop plans to make their farms a safer place to live and work. A final benefit is to help farms meet OSHA standards should they be audited.

The two-day short course will address the following topics:

•Introduction to OSHA

•Injury Trends

•Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

•Hazard Communications

•Tractors and Farm Machinery

•Hazards with Animal Handling

•Hazards in Farm Structures

•Personal Protective Equipment

These topics are common and may not look challenging, but one may be surprised what an audit looks at that is seldom considered in the day to day workings on the farm. During the course, farmers will be developing outlines appropriate for a safety plan to implement on their own farms. Tools will be offered to comply with OSHA standards and more importantly, make the farm safer.

The short course in southeast Minnesota will be at the St. Charles Community Center, 830 Whitewater Ave, St. Charles, Minn. on Thursdays January 10 and 17. The course takes both days for completion. We will start at 10:00 a.m. and conclude by 4:00 p.m. Lunch is included in the registration.

The cost is $15.00 per person for both days. Registration can be done on line at www.uwrf.edu/CenterForDairyFarmSafety/. You may also call 715-425-3240.

This is a jointly sponsored program of University of Minnesota Extension, the Center for Dairy Farm Safety, the North Central Risk Management Education Center and a Susan Harwood Training grant.

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