Washington Dairy Industry Safety Conference, Annual Meeting & Trade Show 2016

/ Darcel

SHIP emblem of grant color

Conference Recap

Dairy farm worker safety expert provides proactive advice at Dairy Federation meeting

by Pete Delaunay, Delaunay Communications

David Douphrate Ph.D., MPT, MBA, a nationally-recognized authority on worker health and safety on dairy farms, encouraged more than 200 attendees, at the Washington Dairy Federation’s Safety Conference and Annual meeting, to demonstrate a commitment to farm worker safety by moving beyond the ‘checkbox’.

Dr. Douphrate said safety management components are driven by the owner/manager’s commitment to workplace safety. “Hazard identification and control, education and training, and worker participation are key elements in a farm’s written safety policies and programs,” he said. “With a focus on prevention and employee participation, safety training is effective when it is administered in both a language and vocabulary that workers can understand, which is vital given that the current dairy labor force is mostly comprised of non-English speaking workers.”

An Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston School of Public Health, Dr. Douphrate has focused on dairy farm worker safety for more than 13 years.

David Douphrate Ph.D., speaks to hundreds of dairy farmers and farm managers at the 2016 Washington Dairy Federation Safety Conference & Annual Meeting.

“Proactive injury prevention using a safety management blue print enables workers to perform their jobs in safe and effective ways in safe working environments,” he says. “Continuous leadership with a well-structured plan and evaluation system will help prevent injuries but should be evaluated on a regular basis for effectiveness.”

During two presentations and one break-out session, Dr. Douphrate offered four levels of effective training: reaction, or feedback from workers; retention, or how much did they learn; behavior change, or how workers help identify hazards so they can be fixed; and results or a reduction in injuries.

Several experts from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and Washington Farm Bureau led breakout sessions including lagoon safety, online safety resources, cost saving safety inspections, main hazards & compliance, workplace safety policies, delivery of safety training, nutrient balance and nutrient record keeping.

Department of Labor & Industries staff were on hand at the trade show to answer questions and information for required ‘Accident Prevention Program’. They also distributed information about manure storage dangers, large animal handling, machinery and equipment, and a safety checklist that dairy farms can use to identify hazards and steps to correct them.

The 2016 Washington Dairy Safety Conference, Annual Meeting & Trade Show was made possible by the following sponsors: Dairy Farmers of Washington, Washington Department of Labor & Industries, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Bayer, NW Dairy Association, Washington Farm Bureau, Ag-Health Laboratories, Animal Health International, CIH Margin Management, Larson Gross CPS/Consultants, PayneWest Insurance, Regenis, NW Farm Credit Services, Toppenish Livestock Commission, Vaughn, and Zoetis. Bronze sponsors included Agri King, Albers, AllWest Select Sires, Allflex USA, Alltech, Boehringer Ingelheim, CHR-Hansen, CCTV CameraScan, Clifton Larson Allen, Ds Beef Packers, Dairy Records Management Systems, Daritech, Datamars, DeLaval Dairy Services, KHI Provo EZ Fed, Diamond V, High Desert Dairy Lab, INNNVAC, NC Machinery, NW Linings & Geotextile Products, G@ Waste Management, FWO, Land View, Multimin USA/Lactipro, Pacific NW Agricultural Safety & Health, Port of Grandview, Rabo AgriFinance, Schabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Seley & Co, Semex, Simplot Western Stockmen’s, USDA Nat’l Statistics Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, Viterra Pacific Coast Canola, WSDA Animal Services, Washington Beef Commission, Washington State Hay Growers Assn. and Washington State University Extension.

This article was originally published in Dairyland News.
Yakima Valley Edition, Issue 15, Nov/Dec 2016 (here and here)
Whatcom County Edition, Vol. 14, Nov/Dec 2016 (here and here)

Conference Documents

Agenda

Booklet

Douphrate – Dairy Safety Current Situation Challenges and Solutions

Douphrate – Mobile Safety Training

Douphrate – Training Effectiveness

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation General Permit

/ Darcel

The proposed CAFO permit will be costly!

Your comments on this proposed permit are necessary to protect your interests. Please read these details and provide comments to the Department of Ecology.

Send comments to Ecology. They must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 31. Send comments to:

Washington State Department of Ecology
Water Quality Program
Attn: Jon Jennings
PO Box 47696
Olympia, WA 98504-7696

jonathan.jennings@ecy.wa.gov

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/cafo/publicinvolvement.html

It is extremely important to make your voices heard by August 31th.

Here are links to more information to assist in making comments.

Washington State Dairy Federation materials:

Department of Ecology materials:

Other materials:

 

 

Tips on Testifying on the CAFO Permit

/ Scott

Your farm, family, and future will be affected by this CAFO permit. It is very important to understand the impact and make comments. When doing so, speak about what you know best — your life, family, farm, and livelihood. Let public officials know what it is like to care for the environment every day.

The following are examples of things you may want to talk about during the hearing:

  • The history of your farm
  • Examples of the conservation work you have done on your farm — nutrient management, wildlife habitat, water quality protection, etc.
  • Investments you have made in conservation and environmental protection — equipment, systems, nutrient management, monitoring, buffers, wetlands, conservation tillage, etc.
  • Awards about, recognition of, and pride in your stewardship — clean water, productive cows, healthy crops, jobs, etc.
  • Community service in the environment — service on conservation district boards, watershed improvement districts, irrigation districts, groundwater management boards, etc.
  • Innovative projects — digesters to produce power and recycle nutrients; energy efficiency projects such as fans, lighting, variable frequency pumps, etc.
  • Your past and ongoing compliance with existing rules and guidance from WSDA, NRCS, CD, and private consultants; your updates to farm plans, the time and expense of consultants, work with technical experts at CDs and NRCS.
  • Your ongoing education in stewardship and nutrient management.

Ask “Why more regulations?” The report from WSDA shows that dairy producers are doing the work that is resulting in high levels of compliance and protection for surface and groundwater. Data across the state shows that diary is already doing its part. While more can always be done, this extra permit is unnecessary, and increased and unnecessary costs mean less money to invest in other places.

The nutrient management system is working. The data confirms that dairy producers and work with CDs, NRCS, WSU, etc., is working to protect the environment.

Where is the problem that demands such a burdensome, additional layer of regulations? Why regulate us more?

Here is a video developed by Whatcom Family Farmers about the CAFO permit that may be helpful when you prepare testimony.

And here are several videos about environmental efforts by dairy producers: