The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Wisconsin Safety and Health Consultation Program (WisCon) announced they are boosting their relationship to support dairy processors’ employee health and safety efforts.
According to the agreement signed by WCMA and OSHA, representatives from both organizations will meet annually to identify areas of emphasis and track progress toward several key goals. These goals include:
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Sharing information on safety laws and standards and OSHA initiatives;
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Encouraging communication between OSHA and the industry to provide input on issues and forge innovative safety solutions; andÂ
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Developing resources for the dairy processing industry on common workplace hazards, worker rights, and employer responsibilities.
WCMA has worked with OSHA on the development of two new training programs. Basic Safety Training for Dairy Processors, offered either in-person at WCMA’s training center in Madison or online, teaches participants about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to identify, abate, and avoid job-related hazards they may encounter. The curriculum concentrates on safety strategies related to machine guarding, lockout/tag out, prevention of slips, trips, and falls, chemical controls, and control of hazardous energy.
The other class, Train the Safety Trainer, is designed to equip the dairy processing industry’s safety trainers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to effectively communicate safety expectations and protocols for maximum compliance.
