Navigating ever-changing COVID-19 workplace policies and conducting business risk assessments will be discussed at an upcoming farm safety webinar.
Facilitated by Subtropical Dairy, the webinar follows a series including chemical training, water, and effluent safety, working at heights and confined spaces, tractor, quad, and motorbike safety.
The webinars work through Dairy Australia's Farm Safety Manual, providing practical tips, dairy farmer discussion and compliance advice.
Subtropical Dairy Far North Queensland regional extension officer Joanna Srhoj organises the webinars and said farmers use the forums to ask about their ongoing projects and issues.
"One of the farmers from Far North Queensland was constructing an on-farm chemical storage area and was able to show the webinar participants the progress and received constructive feedback on other factors to consider," she said.
"Participants regularly submit photos from their own farms for feedback and group comment.
"Everyone was actively involved in the process and Di Gresham - a Dairy Australia - People in Dairy consultant who facilitates the webinars - was able to point out a couple of practical things that could be changed to improve safety."
Through these webinars, Kenilworth, Qld, dairy farmers Sara and Markus Bucher built a bank of 20 standard operating procedures, that specifically fit their 400-cow farm Obi Obi Dairy.
They hope for these to be fully operational soon.
Mrs Bucher said working through Dairy Australia's Farm Safety Manual streamlined Obi Obi Dairy's safety procedures and enabled them to expand their farm safety research with industry-specific information.
"Farm safety is such a massive job, it can almost be overwhelming," she said.
"The workshops offered a sensible, structured, step-by-step approach.
"It covered 14 key areas of risk on the farm, which are nicely described on the People in Dairy Website.
"My previous research revealed these risk areas, but after completing the Subtropical Dairy workshops, I no longer had to tailor them to dairy farming.
"For example, I wasn't taking a construction document and tailoring it to dairy anymore.
"Right from the beginning of the workshops we had a dairy farming document to work with that I could tailor for my farm and team.
"It fast tracked improving our system of safety."
Subtropical Dairy is one of eight regional teams established by Dairy Australia to drive innovation, research, extension and promotion across northern NSW and Queensland.
It delivered $1 million of projects to improve the profitability and sustainability of dairy farms in 2020-21.
Subtropical Dairy receives most of its funding from Dairy Australia and the Dairy Services Levy.
For more information about the upcoming webinars, contact Subtropical Dairy at brad@subtropicaldairy.com.au.
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