The Victorian Farmers Federation’s Making Our Farms Safer (MOFS) Project team has released a series of educational standard Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) videos, that aim to support farmers in correctly carrying out some of the high-risk tasks that lead to incidents on Victorian farms.
VFF President Emma Germano said, “If anyone watching these videos can gain insight on a better or safer way to carry out a task, and that change in method saves their life, then the educational videos will be achieving all that we hope they can”.
The handling of cattle in yards and on farms presents a number of inherent risks, with the unpredictable nature of cattle being the most significant.
Working with sheep in yards presents a number of hazards due to the unpredictability of the animals. Sheep can also get agitated by being squished into an often unfamiliar environment.
Using a feed mixer can help streamline the feeding of livestock, however there are a number of risks that farmers need to be made aware of.
Loading hay onto a truck using a telehandler is a common task undertaken on many farms.
Operating side by sides can pose a number of risks to drivers and passengers.
It is important that we take the right steps to minimize the risks of injury during seeding season, by properly preparing the machinery, planning for the loading and for the long hours that will be spent in the tractor.