THE health and safety of all who live on, work in, or visit Victorian dairy farms is being highlighted by a new website.
The Safety in the Dairy website at www.dairysafety.org.au is designed to provide practical health and safety management for dairy farmers.
Its development has been financed and supported by the Gardiner Foundation and the Victorian Farmers Federation.
United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Doug Chant launched the site at a Gardiner Foundation industry workshop at the Demo Dairy in Terang.
Mr Chant said farm safety was of significant importance to the dairy industry.
“Like all workplaces, dairy farms can be made safer,” Mr Chant said.
“This website, developed by the Victorian Farm Safety Centre at the University of Ballarat, will help farmers identify the hazards and risks in and around the dairy, and how to remove them.”
The website emphasises practical solutions to dairy hazards and illustrates safety solutions that are easy to understand and implement and cost as little as possible.
“It will also help farmers meet their legal obligations to maintain a healthy and safe work place.
Mr Chant said anyone looking to improve their farm’s safety will find the website easy to navigate.
“It includes useful checklists and safety tools that can be downloaded, and links to other occupational health and safety information related specifically to dairying,” Mr Chant said.