Anne Taylor, Chair, Proactive Agricultural Safety & Support Inc

Safety Award

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Who is P.A.S.S. Inc?

We are a not-for-profit group, managed by a committee of volunteers, most of whom are farmers. We are passionate about improving safety in the rural environment.

We had our first meeting, in a farm kitchen, in February 2007, just three weeks after two 21 year old delightful hard working young men, were electrocuted whilst moving irrigation pipes on a farm at Cressy. These boys were the sixth and seventh fatality in six years within a twenty km radius of Cressy. Far too many! Time had come for grass root action.

Our Vision

“To eliminate all fatal & serious accidentsparticularly involving young people exposed to rural environments”.

Our Aims

To seek knowledge, understanding & skills for safe farm practices
To share this knowledge, understanding & skill
To support young persons, employers, education facilities, families & community groups to implement safe practices

Safety Award

A P.A.S.S. representative accompanied the judges on their visit to the farms of the DBOY finalists and the entrants in the share dairy farmer competition. All farmers agreed to the visit by the safety award judge. The intention was to award a prize to the farmer who demonstrated “Best Practice Safety Management”.

It was a rewarding experience for the P.A.S.S. representatives to visit the farms. We thank all the finalists for this opportunity for a snap shot view of current on farm Safety Management in the Tasmanian Dairy Industry.

After visiting the seven farms we decided not to award a first prize in 2010 as none of the farms visited demonstrated “Best Practice Safety Management”. While all the farms visited performed well in some of the criteria there was much room for improvement.

Judges Conclusions

“It is time that safety awareness is raised in the dairy industry”.

“Even the top farmers still have work to do in the area of OH&S”.

Safety Criteria / Description
Safety Policy / Written or verbal
Chemical Register / List of all chemicals used & stored on the farm, easily accessible
MSDS / Material Safety Data Sheets available & easily accessible for every chemical/substance used and stored on the farm
Chemical Shed / Locked, bunded, ventilated
Vet Drugs / Locked, out of reach of children, tidy, register of what & quantities
Helmet / For each rider, worn at all times when riding quad bike,
Signage / Farm entrance, electric fences, operating instructions, road crossing
Dairy / Non slip / cushioning mat in pit, non trip mat, non slip steps, rails at steps, hoses coiled, leg restraint (for kicking cow), good lighting
Tidy & Neat Farm / General appearance, no rubbish, gates swing cleanly
Induction / Written & checklist for employees and contractors. Farm Map
Gen Safety Awareness / Attitude, knowledge
Child Safety / Secured / fenced areas, rules
Tractor / PTO guards, no damage, implements have belts guarded
Most Dangerous Area/Task / All identified “the dairy” & the cows
Workshop / Tidy, welding mask, well ventilated, shadow board, ear muffs, goggles
Silos / Rust free, ground operated opening, blower filled, ladder guard
Wear Gloves / When milking, mixing chemicals

Quick Safety Checklist

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