WHS June 2020 New

12 Jun

Well, we are only a couple of weeks away from reaching the halfway point of the year. What a challenging first 6 months it has been as far as testing our patience, mental health and resilience. One huge lesson for me is how resilient the Australian people have been the last 12 months, lead by the agricultural industry. Agriculture in recent years has faced severe drought, fires, floods (in parts) and now the corona virus and have kept turning up to face the challenges.

It would also be amiss not to acknowledge the outstanding work our front-line workers have provided throughout the corona virus. Including the federal and state governments for the majority of time making difficult but sound decisions in flattening the curve. The test for the governments continues as some states open back up and get the economy back on track, whilst others resisting of at the time of writing this article.

Chemical & Pesticide Safety Agriculture

Without proper handling, exposure to certain agricultural chemicals and pesticides can lead to serious illness or death, often years later. It can affect you, your workers and your family. If you work with pesticides, watch this WorkSafe NSW video safety alert for tips on how to stay safe.

Chemical Safety Includes:

Chemical Accreditation
No smoking, eating or drinking
Read label before use
Check SDS's
Wear Safety Gear
Clean measuring equipment
Triple rinse empty containers
Clean application equipment
Wash and change clothes after chemical use
Keep records up to date

See short chemical Safety video below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=PUsJENJK524&feature=emb_logo

Incident Alert – Another Farm Worker seriously crushed by frontend loader

In April 2020, a man suffered serious injuries after being crushed by a frontend loader. Initial enquiries found the operator got out of the cabin to untie a hay bale when the vehicle started rolling down a slope. It appears the operator was attempting to re-enter the cabin when he was trapped between the moving plant and a gate post.

Preventing a similar incident

As highlighted in the May update a number of Australian workers have been seriously injured or killed because vehicles haven't been safely immobilised while work is being done on or around them. Duty holders must ensure tractors, trucks, trailers, and mobile plant are safely immobilised when they exit these vehicles or work around them.

Following the hierarchy of controls, you must always aim first to eliminate the hazard of a vehicle rolling when the operator is not inside it. If elimination is not possible, work your way down the order of controls. This includes one or a combination of the following:

Engineering controls - this involves changing physical characteristics of the plant or work area to remove or reduce the risk. Examples include;
- installing a handbrake warning system to alert drivers when the handbrake has not been applied
- chocking wheels on both sides of the vehicle using serviceable purpose-built chocks
- using a flat even surface that can bear the general load of the vehicle.
Administrative controls - in addition to the above:
- developing safe work procedures for:
- conducting vehicle inspections
- use of stands, jacks, chocks or other systems for immobilising vehicles
- providing workers with instruction, training and supervision on safe work procedures
- ensuing worker training, experience and competency aligns with the requirements and complexity of the task.
- exclusion zones around vehicles and ensuring these are clearly marked and enforced.

As Corona Virus restrictions continue to ease we continue to offer the below services: