“A Farm Safety Training
Program on Human Risk
Management for Dairy
Producers using a Labor Force
Including Hispanic Workers”
A.D. Garcia1, T.E. Renelt1, C.Mondak2, and U. Francesa3. 1South Dakota
State University, Brookings; 2Iowa State University, Ames; 3Private practice.
Farm sustainability
• Solving the puzzle:
Milk price
Feed price
environment
Climate
Quality of Life
Animal
health
Animal wellbeing
Farm safety
Upper Midwest Dairies
• Consolidation into larger operations
• Dairymen turned to businessmen/human
resource managers
• Hiring immigrant labor has become critical.
• Employees with limited dairy experience.
Workers
• >90% in large dairies are Latinos
• Chores: from milking to middle management
• They fill a need locals are not interested in
• Sometimes involved in farm accidents
Inexperience
• 44% of employees stay less than a year at a farm
Grusenmeyer. 2004
• New, inexperienced worker an asset?
• Allows owners to train according to their BMPs’
• Training reduces unnecessary risks
Hierarchy of Control
• Controlling exposures to occupational
hazards is critical to protect workers.
• A hierarchy of controls has been used to
determine how to implement feasible
and effective controls.
Hierarchy of Control
-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-
1. Elimination: i.e. Not using formaldehyde
2. Substitution: i.e. Use less-hazardous substance
3. Isolation: i.e. Keep chemicals in a lockable area
4. Personal protection equipment
5. Engineering controls: i.e. barrier worker/hazard
6. Administrative control: handling, training, signs
7. Monitoring and Health surveillance
Hierarchy of Control
Farm safety control strategy
Addressed in
project
Project 1.
1. Elimination
2. Substitution
3. Isolation
4. Personal protection equipment
5. Engineering controls
6. Administrative control
1
7. Monitoring and health surveillance
3
1
1
1
1
2
Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Project 1:
• Effort by the Extension Services of IA, MN, ND, NE, and SD
• Funding: North Central Risk Management Education Center.
• Dairy owners and supervisors training objectives:
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Increase knowledge concerning effective employee training.
Incorporate farm safety practices in the dairy operation.
Increase knowledge and skills regarding farm safety.
Safety signage in adequate language is posted.
Evidence of first aid equipment and materials.
Evidence of safety sessions conducted with employees.
Engage in safe practices when using chemicals.
Practice safe cattle handling.
Objectives
1. Increase dairy owners and employee’s knowledge
and awareness of safety risks, safe work practices,
and resources for farm safety and well-being.
2. Encourage dairy owners to create a “culture of
safety” on their farms as of their dairy operation.
• Participants: 40 dairies in the I29 region, comprising
a total of 556 employees and 63 owners.
Results – What Participants Learn, Achieve, Apply
• Glossary of terms
• Define the terms as used in this training
Topic One
• Explain details
• Give an example
• Conduct exercises to reinforce learning
Project steps
1.
Hire bilingual coordinator
2.
Discuss content development
3.
Survey to gauge specific needs for
and Spanish on-site training at 40
general content.
farms.
4.
Recruit farms/schedule training.
8. Provide follow-up on-site visits
5.
Develop content for workshop
and assessments.
a) Customize manual: Dairy walk-through
b) Attend workshop: increase awareness.
c) Verify adoption of safety practices
6. Deliver workshops 1 and 2
7. Facilitate delivery of English
Supporting materials
1. Farm recruitment
- Invitational flyer sent to producers in 4-state region.
2. Bilingual signage to be used at dairies
- i.e. chemicals.
3. Article: “Safety risk areas on the dairy farm”.
- Co-authored by ISU, UMN, UNL, and SDSU
More Information
• List other training sessions
• List books, articles, electronic sources
• List consulting services, other sources
High Risk Areas in the Dairy
• Falls, trips, and slips
• Manure and toxic gases
• The feeding alley
• Driving machinery
• The silos
• The milking parlor
• Hospital and the treated pen • Working with the cows
• The bulls
• Power tools
• The traffic in the dairy
• Dairy chemicals and
• Employees housing
veterinary drugs
• The First Aid Kit and
First Response Person
Results and Discussion
• Different social climates on-site impacted
workshops effectiveness.
• Likelihood of practice change greater when owner
and employees interacted during training.
• Bilingual educator facilitated this interaction.
Suggestions for improvement
• In-person recruitment more effective.
• English sample of workshop material in-hand.
• Schedule discussion with owners on same date as
workshop with employees.
• Owners to be present during workshop.
• Perform walk-through assessment building
knowledge with owners/herdsmen.
Keys to success:
• Presence of bilingual educator to build understanding,
trust, and promote joint-problem solving.
• On-farm workshops increased interest and willingness of
participation
• Hands-on, participatory nature engaged owners interest
and increased likelihood of implementing changes
• Concepts and facts plus access to resources improved
safety (i.e. safety signage, first aid kits, etc.)
The Hierarchy of Control
6. Administrative control: Procedures for handling,
labeling, continuing training and use of signs
• Project: “Addressing the Human-Animal Welfare Interface in Dairy Farms”. 2013.
Objectives: 1. employees understand the cow/human interface and its impact on
animal well-being and workers health; 2. validate remote training to reduce or replace
reliability on fossil fuel transportation and reduce unproductive travel time.
Participants: Four dairies (2 MN; 2 SD) 8,000-cows and 80 employees; UNM, UMN and
SDSU Upper Midwest Ag. Safety and Health Ctr. SDSU.
7. Monitoring and Health surveillance
• Project: “Exposure Assessment and Intervention Analysis in Large Herd Dairy Parlors”
2013. Objective: To improve parlor efficiency and safeness. Participants: (236
workers total nationally) Un. of TX Health Science Center-Houston, CO.S.U. and SDSU.
Questions?