FARM SAFETY MANAGEMENT

OH& SIN THE

RURAL INDUSTRY

FARM SAFETY MANAGEMENT

• Section One: Introduction

• Section Two: Legislation

• Section Three: Risk Assessment

Introduction

• I know I know I know I know

• Statistics

• Implications

Legislation

• The OH&S Act 2000

• The OH&S Regulations 2001

Risk Assessment

• What’s the process?

• Identifying hazards

• Assessing Risks

• Controlling Risks

• Recording- What paperwork do we really need?

About the Course

• No Exam

• On-going assessment worksheets

• Final Multiple Choice questionnaire

Section ONE

Introduction to Farm Safety Management

FARM SAFETY RISKS

• What are farm safety risks?

• Risk of injury or illness

• High costs of injury

• Risk of litigation

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.

What FACTORS cause these deaths?

• Tractors and Plant

• Farm Vehicles

• Animals

• Water

• Electricity

• Negligence

WHO is at risk?

• Farm Workers

• Farm Owners/Managers

• Farm Families

• Farm Visitors

• They say in Hollywood “Never work with Children or animals!”

What are the costs of farm accidents?

• Work delays

• Additional wages

• Increased workers compensation and insurance premiums

• Medical treatment and rehabilitation

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

Or just blatant stupidity?

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 OH&S act

• Civil actions may be made

Section TWO

Farm Safety Legislation

FARM SAFETY LEGISLATION

OH&S 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

Prescriptive parts of the Legislation

• Training for induction and OH&S 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

CODES OF PRACTICE

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

Provide a way to comply with performance based regulations

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

MOTTO• Create a safe workplace

Not

A safe worker

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

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

Characteristics of an unsafe work culture

• Lack of concern or control

• Employee fault

• Unsafe systems

• Poor employer - employee relations

Characteristics of a safe work culture

• Management concern and control

• Employee due care and co-operation

• Consultation

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

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

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

Employee responsibilities

• To cooperate with employer’s 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

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

The ACT also covers..

• Unlawful dismissal

• Offences and penalties

• Regulations

• Associated legislation

• Inspection powers by WorkCover

OH&S REGULATION 2001

• Supports the OH&S Act 2000• Provides penalty levels for breaches of the

OH&S 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

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

Section THREE

Establishing OH&S Programs in your Workplace

PROCESSES

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

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

Step 3• Identify roles and responsibilities of each

person in the enterprise

- List tasks performed by each employee

- Observe staff and record any changes

Step 4• Identify hazards relating to each task

performed by each employee

Use the information gained in steps 1 – 3 above

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

Step 6• Identify working areas where multiple tasks

are taking place

Especially important if equipment is in operation

Step 7• Identify areas that require specialised skills

E.G. Welding, chemical use, machinery operation

Step 8• Defining OH&S responsibilities.

Remember - the owner/manager is responsible to ensure maximum levels of workplace safety.

Develop a flow chart of responsibilities.

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

OH&S 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

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

Working with Animals can be hazardous!!

What is a Risk?

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

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

Frequency of exposure v’s outcomeDaily Weekly Monthly Rarely

Kill or Disable

HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH

Several days off work

HIGH HIGH MEDIUM

MEDIUM

First Aid HIGH MEDIUM

LOW LOW

Repeated exposure to lifting heavy loads may create a risk.

Factors effecting the controlling of risks

• Cost

• Practicability

• Available information

• Sources of information

• Strategic planning

Controlling RISK

• The hierarchy of control

• The SAFER method

The Hierarchy Of Control

• ELIMINATE the hazard

• SUBSTITUTE the hazard

• ENGINEERING controls

• SAFER work procedures

• PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The SAFER method

• SEE IT

• ASSESS IT

• FIX IT

• EVALUATE OT

• RECORD IT

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

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

Translating risk assessment into SOP’s

• Include safe work practices

• Include PPE where appropriate

• Make certain they are implemented

• Modify SOP if additional risk factors are added to any equipment

Section 6

Risk Assessment Solutions

Categories• Property

• Work practices

• Equipment

• Personnel

Section 7

Reviewing Risk Control Measures

Negative performance indicators

• Lost time injuries (LTI’s)

• Lost time accidents (LTA’s)

These measure failure - not success

Positive performance indicators

• Induction

• Training

• Sop’s

• Audits/inspections

Positive performance indicators

• Follow up and change

• OH&S surveys

• Pre-employment medicals

• Use and compliance with PPE’s

• Regular monitoring of first aid and PPE

• Emergency procedures

• Identification of new hazards

Waiting for failure is reactive

Section 8

Involving Staff

Regular informal get-togethers

Employee representation

Encourage input from all staff

Section 10

Record Keeping

Records made in the workplace

• Hazard identifications

• Action taken to control hazards

• Chemical application/storage records

• Staff suggestions register

• Accident/incident reports

• OH&S committee meetings and discussions

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

Section 11

Portable Appliance Testing

Case Study #1A 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.

Possible solutions to Case Study #1

• Sop’s

• Staff training

• Supervisor training

• Turn off power

• Testing procedure for “power off”

Case Study #2Here 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.

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 there’s more.

•What other costs could be included?

•What action should the owner take as a result of this accident?

RISK ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

SHEARING SHED