Safety - Lely

At Lely, we consider the safety of people and cows a top priority. The farm is a working environment, with robots, tractors, animals, self-driving vehicles and so on, but also an environment in which families live and children play. A unique and at the same time challenging combination when it comes to working safely in the day-to-day routines. Our priority is to work as efficiently as possible at the farm, while protecting your safety, that of your employees and loved ones, and all others entering the premises.

As Lely, we want to lower the risk of injuries by providing practical tips and guidelines about farm safety. We encourage you to identify, isolate, eliminate and prevent safety risks and to share your experiences and solutions with other dairy farmers.

This starts with awareness. Together towards safe farming.

Safe farming starts with you

You are the key to safety. Good safety practices protect you and the people around you. Make these practices a working part of your safety program. Make sure that everyone who operates, maintains or works near the devices obeys the safety precautions. Do not risk injury or death by ignoring good safety practices.

Comply with the manuals and safety instructions

Read and understand the manuals and safety instructions before you operate or maintain your machine or tools. Your (new) equipment might function differently than you are used to. For example, it can include new features. Besides, understand and respect the safety decals on the machinery, since they make you aware of potential dangers. Always comply with the instructions and rules.

Handle chemicals with care/caution

Store and handle chemicals correctly. Chemicals need to be stored in a dedicated closed/lockable area, kept away from your kids. When handling chemicals, make sure you wear the correct protective equipment. Refrain from mixing or spilling your chemicals and always use the original packaging.

Keep equipment in its original state

Keep all guards, shields, access doors and other parts in place. Do not alter equipment to make work easier or more efficient. This compromises the safety of you or your loved ones. After performing maintenance, do not forget to put back or lock guards, shields and similar parts, as others are unaware of potential hazards.

Keep children and visitors away from working areas

Farms are a world of adventure for curious kids. However, a farm is a working area and kids are not always aware of the possible risks. Separate play and work areas, but also educate your kids and visitors on the possible risks. Define a clear set of rules and routes for those entering your premises and do not leave kids and visitors unattended at the farm.

Wear work clothes

An untied shoelace, long loose hair and stray threads from an old shirt can lead to injuries when operating farm equipment with rotating parts. Some tasks require protective clothing such as safety shoes or safety gloves. Dressing appropriately reduces the risk of injuries.

Cleanliness on farm

Keeping your farm tidy will allow you to notice anomalies and hazards more easily. This also means less chance of cuts, tripping or getting stuck behind something. Make sure your machines can operate tasks without obstructions.

Provide a safe work environment

You are legally responsible for the health and safety of your personnel. Realise a safe working environment and provide the proper tools for them to work safely. Provide training and guiding to anyone who works on your farm. When dividing tasks among you personnel, make sure to select the right person for the job. Allow only qualified personnel to perform certain tasks. Maintain supervision and intervene when work is carried out in an unsafe manner.

Handle animals with caution

There are always risks related to jobs that involve interaction with animals. Animals can be unpredictable. Avoid blind spots and approach animals slowly so that they are always aware of your presence. Be especially careful around bulls and cows in heat. Keep animals away from working areas.

Be careful with slurry

Be aware that during the decomposition of slurry, bacteria produce gasses. Some of these gases are poisonous and highly flammable. Make sure visitors do not enter the barn when you are mixing slurry. Prevent anyone from falling into the slurry with proper fencing, signing or by keeping all openings to the manure pit closed when left unattended.

Electrical safety

Have the electrical installations on your farm checked regularly by a professional. Perform maintenance on electrical systems only if you are sufficiently qualified. When performing maintenance, disconnect and isolate the electrical power and take the machine out of operation. Always keep away from areas with high voltage.

Download

Because we highly value your safety, we made a printable version of the safety tips, that you can easily print and hang in your office or barn. Let it serve as a daily reminder that safety should be a top priority.

Download our safety tips

Share your story with us!

We’d love to hear your best practices concerning safety in the barn. Share your story with us via socials, tag Lely (@Lelygroup) and use the hashtag #safetyinthebarn #safefarming or via communications@lely.com

Why Lely?

Farmers all over the world make choices about how they set up and run their farms. Every day, we help them make the best choices for themselves and their farms. We do this by providing advice and innovative solutions that contribute to efficient farm management. For sustainable milk and meat production. Present and future.

More about our company

Safety starts with you