The Dairy Workers – Machinery Safety in the Field course introduces the essential safety practices required when working with farm machinery and equipment. Machinery incidents remain the leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities on agricultural operations, making hazard awareness critical for all workers. This training highlights the fundamental principles of machinery safety, common risks, and safe operating procedures for equipment frequently used on dairy farms.

Participants learn how to recognize equipment hazards, understand the main causes of fatal incidents, and apply safe practices when transporting or operating machinery in the field. The course also covers training expectations, inspection routines, and key guidelines that help workers reduce risk during daily tasks. By developing strong safety habits, workers can better protect themselves, their coworkers, and the overall operation.

Machinery safety is a cornerstone of agricultural work. Understanding how equipment functions, what hazards exist, and how to operate machinery safely helps prevent injuries and ensures smoother daily operations. This course provides foundational knowledge to help dairy workers navigate equipment-related tasks with greater confidence and awareness.

Introduction

• Review course objectives and the importance of machinery safety on dairy farms
• Understand common risks associated with field equipment

Machines on the Farm

• Identify machinery commonly used in dairy operations
• Review the basic functions and hazards of key equipment types

Fatality Causes

• Learn the leading causes of machinery-related fatalities
• Understand how unsafe actions and conditions contribute to incidents

Transporting Equipment

• Review safe transport practices for moving equipment on and off the farm
• Learn how to prevent rollovers, collisions, and road hazards

Training

• Understand the importance of proper machinery training
• Learn responsibilities related to competency and supervision

Inspections

• Review pre-use inspection steps for common equipment
• Learn how inspections help prevent mechanical failures and injuries

Learning to Operate Equipment

• Explore safe learning methods for new operators
• Understand the role of guidance, supervision, and practice

Basic Machinery Safety Guidelines

• Learn universal safety principles for working around machinery
• Understand guards, shields, controls, and emergency shut-offs

Dairy Farm Field Equipment

• Review equipment commonly used in field work and feed production
• Understand specific hazards associated with mowers, rakes, balers, and more

Operator Safety

• Learn behaviours and practices that reduce risk during operation
• Understand situational awareness, communication, and line-of-fire hazards

Hearing Protection

• Identify noise hazards associated with machinery
• Learn when and how to use hearing protection effectively

Quiz

• Reinforce understanding of machinery safety concepts through knowledge checks

This online Dairy Workers – Machinery Safety in the Field course takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. Learners can start, pause, and resume the course at their convenience.

A passing score of 80% is required to receive a certificate of completion. Users have up to three attempts to achieve the pass mark. Short quizzes throughout the training reinforce key principles.

Upon successful completion, learners can download and print a digital certificate confirming their understanding of safe machinery practices in dairy farm environments.