MiniMizing hAzArds: Workers’ safety at the dairyFelix Soriano for Progressive Dairyman

Dairy employees can be exposed to safety and health hazards while working at the dairy. Owners and managers are responsible for providing a safe workplace and proper training to reduce labor injuries at work. It is also critical for owners and managers to ensure that proper protocols are established and followed at all times to promote safety and reduce accidents.

Labor efficiency is an important parameter when it comes to evaluating a dairy’s profitability. In fact, most dairy operations that strive to improve profitability tend to increase

cow numbers at the dairy while maintaining the same number of employees, thus diluting some of their fixed costs and improving net profits. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that a labor safety program is established so workers’ risk of injuries or accidents is not increased.

Lately in my travels, workers’ safety has been a topic of discussion with managers. This is why I’m writing this article, where I will share some key guidelines and topics that must be evaluated at the dairy and covered during any safety training program.

1 Farm tractor and skid steer

– Farm statistics show that the main cause of workers’ injuries, fatal and non-fatal, are incidents with tractors and other farm equipment. According to the North Carolina Department of Labor, tractor overturns is the most common cause of deaths. This often occurs with tricycle-type tractors, so it may not be as common with more modern and bigger tractors.

Things to emphasize during training of inexperienced employees would be understanding the center of gravity and how it changes, the effects of tractor loading, hitching and the positioning of a load in a front-end loader. Being too close to ditches or the sides of a silage bunker when packing must be discussed, and proper maneuvering skills must be evaluated before an employee can help with this job.

Other risks when operating this type of equipment are:

• Falls from a moving tractor or skid steer – To prevent this, do not mount or dismount from a moving tractor, do not permit riders, and do not stand or reach to extreme lengths.

• Run-overs – This is most commonly due to the failure of the operator to notice the presence of a person behind

or to one side of the skid steer or tractor. Understanding poor visibility of skid steers is important as well as determining proper speed when operating this type of equipment. The use of cell phones or headphones while operating skid steers or tractors must be prohibited. Staying alert and focused while operating farm equipment is critical. I’ve seen and heard of accidents occurring when employees are overconfident while operating a skid steer or the mixer feed wagon and tractor. It is important to refresh and retrain employees at least once a year, discussing common accidents that happen when employees are not paying attention. Also, new technologies like backing cameras and/or buzzers installed in mixer wagons or tractors can be important safety features.

• Power take-off hazards – Prevent these accidents by having employees wear comfortable, close-fitting clothes when working around equipment. Also, use shields with good protection for the PTO drive system and teach people to never step across a rotating power shaft.

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2 Other farm equipment – Employees using mowers, wagons,

post-hole diggers, chain saws and other types of equipment must also be properly trained, and protocols for proper use must be established.

3 Silage piles and bunkers – Silage bunkers or piles can be a hazard

not only during packing but also during silage extraction. Silage pile height plays a key factor in this as well as proper silage face management. Here are some recommendations:

• Avoid making silage piles that are so high extraction equipment cannot reach the top.

• If a pile or bunker face looks unstable, stay away. The silage may collapse and instantly kill the silage operator.

• Create awareness and training on how to clean the top spoiled material. Employees climbing on top of silage bunks to fork out spoiled material are at great risk of falling if a section of the silage collapses. Preferably, they should use a bucket and tractor to perform this work.

• For more detailed information about silage pile safety, visit Dr. Keith Bolsen’s website (www.lsre.ksu.edu/pr_silage).

4 Chemicals – It is important to have written protocols to ensure

safe handling, use and disposal of chemicals at the dairy. Chemicals used for washing equipment and parlor systems, acids, teat dip solutions and other chemicals used are common hazards for milkers and other employees.

Proper training of safe use, handling, storage and disposing of these products is essential as well as having emergency response protocols if accidents happen. Also, all employees should wear protection gear when handling these products like rubber gloves, goggles, masks and coveralls. Following product use instructions is critical. Special storage rooms and close inventory control of chemicals is a must. Keep these chemicals

inaccessible from children, visitors and inexperienced employees. Never have employees mix chemicals unless it’s part of normal protocols, like mixing a footbath. In that case, a standard procedure should be established.

5 Animal handling and behavior – In my opinion, injuries caused

by animals are the most common problem at dairy operations nowadays. Not many of these cases are reported, and thus statistics may not reflect this as one of the major hazards. A broken

finger, arm or elbow caused by a fresh cow or heifer in the parlor can be a costly problem to dairy employers. An employee who’s injured by a cow will spend days off work or will be working with a reduced ability to do an adequate job.

Continued on page 34

Felix SorianoOwner/Consultant

APN Consulting, LLCfelix@apndairy.com

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January 1, 2014 • Issue 1 www.progressivedairy.com 33

Minimizing hazards: Workers’ safety at the dairy, cont’d from page 33

It is critical to have a proper training program for new employees to ensure every employee working with animals understands cow behavior and learns about proper cow-handling techniques. All employees working with cows should follow these safe practices:

• Know the behavioral and sensory properties of cows and heifers. This will ensure the safety and health of the employee and the animal.

• Understand the “blind spot,” “point of balance” and “flight zone”

of the cow. Knowing how to walk and move cows according to these is a must.

• Hitting or mistreating animals should not be tolerated. Rules should be established about this and consequences clearly communicated to all employees working with animals. A zero tolerance for mistreatment of animals is always my recommendation.

• Sudden moves or noises startle cattle. Talk to the cow and let her know you are going to milk her, for example. Always approach a cow from the sides

and not from behind. Avoid standing at her blind spot.

• Make a fresh heifer’s first experience in the parlor a great one. Employees must be patient when herding and milking fresh first-calf heifers. Otherwise, that animal will be difficult to milk throughout her entire lactation.

• Don’t get overconfident; take precautions when examining, treating or milking cows. Cows can kick

when they are scared or injured, or in pain. Use kicking restraints when necessary.

• Be cautious when handling cows that just freshened or when handling the newborn calf. In the calving pen, some cows can get overly protective of their newborns and become aggressive right after calving. The use of halters or headlocks, gates or other restraining tools can be a safe way to handle this kind of animal.

• Cows get nervous and uncomfortable when they are isolated. Cows are very sociable animals and like to be with other cows. When moving animals or herding them, the employee should try to handle them in groups to keep cows calmer.

6 Weather extremes – Both extreme heat and cold weather

conditions can become a serious hazard in certain parts of the country. Educating employees on adequate outfits and gear to use while at work and outside of work can reduce weather hazards. Also, education on how to stay hydrated is important. Some things that may be obvious and common sense for the employer may not be for an inexperience employee who comes from a different region or country.

Other common safety hazards can be the presence of respiratory contaminants like sawdust or silage gases; manure storage pits; electrical hazards; and slips, trips and falls. These are all topics employers should include in any safety training program for employees at the dairy.

In summary, it is important for employers to provide a safe workplace for all workers by providing safe and well-maintained equipment and facilities, providing protective gear when needed, and developing and enforcing safe work practices and protocols. Furthermore, proper training on work safety is important. At the same time, employees must be responsible and follow proper protocols and practices at all times. Rules and consequences for employees not following these safety protocols must be established and put into practice to ensure the safety of all at the workplace. PD

Felix Soriano is owner and consultant with APN Consulting, LLC.

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34 Progressive Dairyman Issue 1 • January 1, 2014