FARM SAFETY MANAGEMENT

1
FARM SAFETY MANAGEMENT

• OH SIN THERURAL INDUSTRY

2
FARM SAFETY MANAGEMENT

• Section One Introduction
• Section Two Legislation
• Section Three Risk Assessment

3
Introduction

• I know I know I know I know
• Statistics
• Implications

4
Legislation

• The OHS Act 2000
• The OHS Regulations 2001

5
Risk Assessment

• Whats the process?
• Identifying hazards
• Assessing Risks
• Controlling Risks
• Recording- What paperwork do we really need?

6
About the Course

• No Exam
• On-going assessment worksheets
• Final Multiple Choice questionnaire

7
Section ONE

• Introduction to Farm Safety Management

8
FARM SAFETY RISKS

• What are farm safety risks?
• Risk of injury or illness
• High costs of injury
• Risk of litigation

9
Is farm safety a problem?

• In Australia- ONE person dies every 4 days in
  rural industries
• Australian agriculture is the 2nd most dangerous
  industry in relation to reported injuries per
  year and to workplace fatalities.
• In 1999-2000 151 farm related deaths
• From September to November 2001
• 50 of workplace fatalities were rural
  industry/machinery related.

10
What FACTORS cause these deaths?

• Tractors and Plant
• Farm Vehicles
• Animals
• Water
• Electricity
• Negligence

11
WHO is at risk?

• Farm Workers
• Farm Owners/Managers
• Farm Families
• Farm Visitors
• They say in Hollywood Never work with Children
  or animals!

12
What are the costs of farm accidents?

• Work delays
• Additional wages
• Increased workers compensation and insurance
  premiums
• Medical treatment and rehabilitation

13
Why do Farm Accidents Occur?

• Working under different conditions
• Different and varied tasks (often daily)
• Working alone (in isolation)
• Working under seasonal pressure
• Family workers home on farm
• Seasonal unskilled labour

14
Or just blatant stupidity?
15
Risk To Business

• Risk of prosecution and/or litigation
• A safe workplace is a legislated responsibility
• We owe each other a duty of care
• There are penalties for breaches of the OHS act
• Civil actions may be made

16
Section TWO

• Farm Safety Legislation

17
FARM SAFETY LEGISLATION

• OHS Act 2000
• Covers general requirements for health, safety
  and welfare in the workplace
• Covers employers, employees and the self-employed
• Is performance based NOT prescriptive
• Depends on CODES of PRACTICE

18
Prescriptive parts of the Legislation

• Training for induction and OHS
  committees/representatives
• Contents of first aid kits/rooms
• Involvement of registered medical practitioners
  in health surveillance

• Certification of workers operating certain plant
• Noise exposure limits
• Removal of asbestos
• Construction work

19
CODES OF PRACTICE
Provide a way to comply with performance based
regulations

• Some examples

• Risk assessment
• Wine industry
• Manual handling
• Hazardous substances
• Pesticides
• On-farm silos
• Noise
• And many more

Following a Code of Practice is evidence that you
have been exercising your duty of care or Due
Diligence.
20
MOTTO

• Create a safe workplace
• Not
• A safe worker

21
DUTY OF CARE

• A common law principle
• Each person is required to conduct our lives in
  a reasonable way and to take reasonable care to
  avoid harm to others
• Lord Aitken
• We should all conduct our lives and carry out
  our duties in a way that etc

22
How to demonstrate Duty of Care

• Base your workplace on relevant COPs and
  standards
• Maintain current, comprehensive and accurate
  records of what you do

• Maintain records of everything you do even if it
  is not specifically required that you do so

23
Characteristics of an unsafe work culture

• Lack of concern or control
• Employee fault
• Unsafe systems
• Poor employer - employee relations

24
Characteristics of a safe work culture

• Management concern and control
• Employee due care and co-operation
• Consultation

25
Responsibilities Under OHS Act

• Must ensure the health, safety and welfare of
  their employees when at work by
• Maintaining safe places of work
• Ensuring safe use, handling, storage and
  transport of plant and substances
• Providing safe systems of work
• Provide information, instruction and training
• Provide adequate facilities for the welfare of
  workers

26
Employer Responsibilities

• MUST Provide and maintain safe workplaces and
  systems of work
• Consult with employees about health and safety
• Provide information, training, instruction and
  supervision

• Have adequate facilities for the welfare of
  employees
• Maintain machinery and equipment in a safe
  condition
• Ensure safe use, handling, transport and storage
  of hazardous substances

27
Employers cont..

• MUST assess health and safety risks to all
  employees and all others in the workplace

• Employers are not the only people responsible for
  safety in the workplace

28
Employee responsibilities

• To cooperate with employers attempts to enhance
  safety at the workplace
• Not to interfere or obstruct any legitimate
  attempt to improve safety on the farm
• Not to create a culture of fear among other
  workers regarding safe work practices

• Not refuse any reasonable request to assist other
  workers to avoid accident or injury
• Take responsibility for performing tasks in a
  safe manner and for reporting any perceived
  problems to a supervisor
• Obstruct attempts to give aid

29
CONTRACTORS

• Responsible for their own safe working practices
• Ensure the safety of their own employees
• Ensure the safety of non-employees at the
  workplace

• FARMERS may also be held liable for activities
  carried out by contractors
• Discuss intended work practices
• Verify adequate liability insurance
  coverage-refer to subby pack

30
The ACT also covers..

• Unlawful dismissal
• Offences and penalties
• Regulations
• Associated legislation
• Inspection powers by WorkCover

31
OHS REGULATION 2001

• Supports the OHS Act 2000
• Provides penalty levels for breaches of the OHS
  act
• Provides guidance material to assist employers to
  comply with the act
• Expands on consultation requirements
• Sets requirements for managing risk in the work
  premises and working environment

32
Regs continued.

• Sets out requirement for managing risks arising
  from plant, hazardous substances and hazardous
  processes
• Accesses Codes of Practice in manual handling,
  hazardous substances, noise and plant machinery

33
Section THREE

• Establishing OHS Programs in your Workplace

34
PROCESSES
35
Step 1

• Identify safety issues that are property based
  (hazards that exist because of the specific
  location)
• Map plot all structures, waterways,
  public access, building diagrams (entrances,
  exits, power etc

36
Step 2

• Determine all areas where accidents are more
  likely to occur
• e.g. - areas of high level activity
• - details of work practices
• - Casual staff tasks

37
Step 3

• Identify roles and responsibilities of each
  person in the enterprise
• - List tasks performed by each employee
• - Observe staff and record any changes

38
Step 4

• Identify hazards relating to each task performed
  by each employee
• Use the information gained in steps 1 3 above

39
Step 5

• Determine areas where more than one employee may
  perform tasks
• Reason danger created by more than one
  employee performing the same task together

40
Step 6

• Identify working areas where multiple tasks are
  taking place
• Especially important if equipment is in
  operation

41
Step 7

• Identify areas that require specialised skills
• E.G. Welding, chemical use, machinery operation

42
Step 8

• Defining OHS responsibilities.
• Remember - the owner/manager is responsible to
  ensure maximum levels of workplace safety.
• Develop a flow chart of responsibilities.

43
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
44
OHS Actrequires all persons conducting a
business to install a risk assessment procedure
for their workplace

1. Look at past accidents
2. Talk to the workers
3. Make observations
4. Consider tasks and imagine what could go wrong
5. Check operator manuals
6. Prioritise hazards
7. Do something about HIGH class hazards

45
What is a Hazard?

• HAZARD-a situation or condition with the
  potential of causing harm
• Such as working near power-lines
• Using chemicals
• Operating farm machinery
• Swimming in farm dams
• Working with Animals

46
Working with Animals can be hazardous!!
47
What is a Risk?

• RISK- the potential undesirable outcome
• Such as electrocution
• Chemical poisoning
• Tractor roll-over
• Drowning
• Knocked down, kicked or killed

48
Step 1 to RISK ASSESSMENT

• Establish the degree of risk, it is important to
  determine two things.
• One The frequency of exposure
• Two The consequence of injury

49
Frequency of exposure vs outcome
Daily Weekly Monthly Rarely
Kill or Disable HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH
Several days off work HIGH HIGH MEDIUM MEDIUM
First Aid HIGH MEDIUM LOW LOW
50
Repeated exposure to lifting heavy loads may
create a risk.
51
Factors effecting the controlling of risks

• Cost
• Practicability
• Available information
• Sources of information
• Strategic planning

52
Controlling RISK

• The hierarchy of control
• The SAFER method

53
The Hierarchy Of Control

• ELIMINATE the hazard
• SUBSTITUTE the hazard
• ENGINEERING controls
• SAFER work procedures
• PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

54
The SAFER method

• SEE IT
• ASSESS IT
• FIX IT
• EVALUATE OT
• RECORD IT

55
Capture this information

• Where location of workplace or area within
  workplace
• When date of assessment
• Who carried out the assessment
• The nature of the risk assessed

56
Capture this information

• Recommended control measures
• Who is responsible for implementing the control
  measures and when
• Review of control measures
• Who is responsible for review and when

57
Translating risk assessment into SOPs

• Include safe work practices
• Include PPE where appropriate
• Make certain they are implemented
• Modify SOP if additional risk factors are added
  to any equipment

58
Section 6

• Risk Assessment Solutions

59
Categories

• Property
• Work practices
• Equipment
• Personnel

60
Section 7

• Reviewing Risk Control Measures

61
Negative performance indicators

• Lost time injuries (LTIs)
• Lost time accidents (LTAs)
• These measure failure - not success

62
Positive performance indicators

• Induction
• Training
• Sops
• Audits/inspections

63
Positive performance indicators

• Follow up and change
• OHS surveys
• Pre-employment medicals
• Use and compliance with PPEs
• Regular monitoring of first aid and PPE
• Emergency procedures
• Identification of new hazards

64
Waiting for failure is reactive
65
Section 8

• Involving Staff

66
Regular informal get-togethers Employee
representationEncourage input from all staff
67
Section 10

• Record Keeping

68
Records made in the workplace

• Hazard identifications
• Action taken to control hazards
• Chemical application/storage records
• Staff suggestions register
• Accident/incident reports
• OHS committee meetings and discussions

69
Administrative records

• Records of all training given to individual
  employees
• Induction and training of employees
• Records of work related sickness or injury
• Registers of hazardous substances
• MSDS
• Any official directive to improve safety

70
Section 11

• Portable Appliance Testing

71
Case Study 1 A large power plant was fined
75,000 following the death of a 22 year-old
employee. The fatality was described by the Judge
as an accident that never should have happened
and a death that was eminently avoidable. The
Judge found that the electrocution of the
employee was the result of a combination of
factors that disclosed a profoundly unsafe system
of work at the power plant. The Judge said that
this was a most unsatisfying case and in terms
of failure to take proper care, it must be
numbered among the worst. The employee was
electrocuted while carrying out power supply
reconnection work on a power pole. Identify what
management should have done to exercise due
diligence.
72
Possible solutions to Case Study 1

• Sops
• Staff training
• Supervisor training
• Turn off power
• Testing procedure for power off

73
Case Study 2
Here is a typical example of an accident in which
a staff member working on a farm is injured when
cleaning machinery parts in the workshop. Doug is
a good cooperative worker who does his best to
please. He has been working on the farm for a
number of years and is often assists with routine
maintenance tasks. The owner has asked him to
clean some greasy machinery parts. Doug obtains a
dish of petrol and a brush to undertake this task
but during the process he brushes his hand
against the edge of the dish. A spark of static
electricity ignites the petrol fumes causing Doug
to be seriously burned.
74
Case Study 2 continued

• What does this accident cost the employer?
• Direct costs include
• Medical expenses 250
• One week paid off work 350
• The direct cost of this accident was 600 which
  the property owner shrugged off (and blamed Doug
  for being silly enough to use petrol).
• But in reality theres more.
• What other costs could be included?
• What action should the owner take as a result of
  this accident?

75
RISK ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
76
(No Transcript)
77
(No Transcript)
78
(No Transcript)
79
SHEARING SHED