Agricultural Research Station Safety Manual
Safety Manual
University of Wisconsin-Madison
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Agricultural Research Stations
Table of Contents
Section I: Introduction & General Safety Policy
Section II: Safety and Health Programs
Chapter 1 – Safety Training & New Employee Safety Orientation Resources
Chapter 2 – Accident & Incident Reporting & Investigation
Chapter 3 - Emergency Response Procedures
Chapter 4 - Hazard Communication
Chapter 6 - Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
Chapter 8 - Personal Protective Equipment
Chapter 11 - Elevated Work Surfaces (Scaffolds and Ladders)
Chapter 12 - Laboratory Safety
Chapter 13 - Heat Illness Prevention
Chapter 14 - Cold Stress Safety
Chapter 15 - Forklifts & Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT)
Chapter 16 - Respiratory Protection
Chapter 17 - Hearing Conservation
Chapter 18 - Bloodborne Pathogens
Chapter 19 - Job Hazard Assessment
Chapter 21 - Compressed Gas Cylinders
Chapter 22 - Cranes and Hoists
Chapter 23 - Manual Material Handling
Chapter 24 - Vector-Borne Disease Prevention Program
Section III: Agricultural Safety Programs
Chapter 1 - Mobile Equipment Operation
Chapter 2 - Pesticide Handling and Application
Chapter 4 - Safety Recommendations for Staff Handling of Livestock
Chapter 5 - Procedures for loading, transporting and unloading cattle and swine
Introduction
By the nature of the work, Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Establishing a safe environment where all employees, researchers and visitors feel welcome is an essential mission of the UW Madison Agricultural Research Stations. It is expected that ARS employees will assist in meeting this mission at all times. Meeting this mission requires alertness to hazard identification and the constant exhibition of safety practices.
All of us are responsible for safety. Employees, have the responsibility to recognize the hazards, know the safety regulations, and exhibit safe behaviors at all times. Management has the responsibility for setting safety regulations, providing safety equipment and training, and holding employees accountable for deviations from safety requirements. Additionally, all employees should feel empowered to share suggestions to make tasks safer, seek and request better personal protective equipment, and ask management to review work tasks for safe ways. No employee should feel coming to work endangers their safety.
This manual is a compilation of numerous safety topics and procedures. It is not intended to be exhaustive of all safety guidance and topics. Some sections may only be relevant to a couple sites, whereas some will be applicable to all stations. New topics should be added as needed, and stations should add their own guidance when appropriate.
Safety is no Accident!
General Safety Policy
This manual contains safety policies, information, procedures, and rules for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Agricultural Research Stations. These safety procedures and guidelines are intended for Agricultural Research Stations (ARS) employees and for all university employees and volunteers who are using ARS facilities.
Non-ARS university staff including faculty, academic staff, undergraduate and graduate students, limited term employees and any volunteers should be made aware of these policies and be expected to comply with these guidelines. Use of equipment will be subject to these rules regardless of their employing unit.
All ARS employees will be required to:
- Receive onboarding safety training so they can safely complete their basic assigned tasks.
- Have ongoing safety orientation and training.
- Maintain and update training records by acknowledging training and by signing safety agreements as needed.
- Follow the safety procedures as outlined in this manual.
- Ask for additional training if asked to do a task they are not familiar with or are not comfortable with the safety equipment they are asked to use.
- Stop the task they are performing and notify management if they believe conditions to be unsafe.