Dairy farmers: Your health and safety matters to GEA

In light of recent statistics by the Health and Safety Executive highlighting agriculture as the sector having the highest injury and death rates in the UK, GEA Farm Technologies is urging all dairy farmers using any of its dairy hygiene products to request their latest Safety Data Sheets today.

“Safety Data Sheets are more than just pieces of paper to be filed away in a drawer somewhere,” says Chris Bisdee, Operations Director at GEA Farm Technologies chemical factory in Warminster. “They describe the hazards the chemical presents and give information on handling, storage and emergency measures in case of an accident and need to be stored in an accessible place on the farm.”

Farm workers are required to use many different and varied substances when producing high quality milk. At the same time, as a farm business with employees the farmer is obliged to meet the requirements of various pieces of workplace legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) and ensure all employees have the correct information, training and personal protective equipment to perform their duties safely.

Also if there is an emergency on the farm it’s a lot easier to take a piece of paper than the product label which is attached to the packaging and not easily removed.

“This is why we are talking to farmers and bringing the importance of Safety Data Sheets to their attention. To make it even easier for dairy farmers to place their Safety Data Sheets in a secure place we are providing a free high visibility folder when they request sheets for three or more products.”