Employee Health & Safety

Dairy processors' most valuable resource is their workforce, and WCMA is proud to offer resources to support our members' efforts to keep their employees safe on the job.

While always essential, constant review and evaluation of dairy processing safety protocols and practices is of special importance now, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues a Local Emphasis Program (LEP) for food processors in Region 5, following a troubling uptick in serious injuries in manufacturing plants.

WCMA encourages its members to get involved in its active Health & Safety Group, participate in its upcoming safety training programs, and review the resources linked below to bolster employee health and safety programs.

If you have specific needs or questions, please contact WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy Rebekah Sweeney.  WCMA is here to help!

Key Regulatory References

Consulting Services

Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations are available nationwide to help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs. While funded by OSHA, services are provided by consultants from state agencies or universities and they do not report findings to OSHA.

To learn more about free on-site safety consultations in Wisconsin, visit: https://www.slh.wisc.edu/occupational/wiscon/workplace-covid-19-consulting/.  Please also note on this site sign-up for WisCon’s free newsletter and monthly webinars!

To access equivalent organizations in other states, visit: https://www.osha.gov/consultation.

Additional Industry Guidance

Combustible Dust Protocols
Emergency Preparedness
Hazardous Energy Control Resources
Fall Prevention
Hearing Protection
Inspection Resources
Warehouse Safety

Safety Trainings

WCMA Basic Safety Training for Dairy Processors

Ensure your valued team members have the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe on the job!  Register them now for WCMA's new Basic Safety Training for Dairy Processors, offered either in-person or virtually throughout the year.

Designed with input from WCMA's Health & Safety Group (HSG), this new course will teach participants about their rights, employer responsibilities, and - most importantly - 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 key focus areas of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's ongoing Local Emphasis Program for food processors.

This course is taught in an interactive style, and all elements are industry-specific.  Images, videos and illustrative examples included in the training are pulled from dairy processing plants or dairy industry suppliers.

Participants will come away not only with new knowledge, but also with a packet of training materials and a certificate of completion from Chippewa Valley Technical College and WCMA, that they and their employer can retain as a record of quality instruction.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER NOW

WCMA Train the Safety Trainer Course

Build your skills as a trainer and enhance your organization's safety culture by engaging in WCMA's Train the Safety Trainer program, offered either in-person or virtually twice per year.

Designed with input from WCMA's Health & Safety Group (HSG), this course 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.  HSG members note the importance of this offering now, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues its Local Emphasis Program (LEP) for food processors, following a troubling uptick in serious injuries in manufacturing plants.

This course is taught in an interactive style and covers best practices for design and delivery methods used by successful workforce safety trainers. While those attending should have a strong grasp on industry safety practices already, instructors will emphasize training around OSHA's LEP areas of concerns, including machine guarding, lockout/tag out, prevention of slips, trips, and falls, chemical controls, and control of hazardous energy.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to: 

  • Define training and facilitation in the workplace;
  • Conduct a training needs assessment;
  • Evaluate their training programs for clarity and efficacy;
  • Understand various presentation tools and methods;
  • Identify the characteristics of an exceptional trainer;
  • Discuss adult learning principles;
  • Handle environmental challenges and disruptive participants; and
  • Develop vocal, verbal and visual skills to conduct an effective training class.

Participants will also come away with a packet of training materials and a certificate of completion from Chippewa Valley Technical College and WCMA, that they and their employer can retain as a record of instruction.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER NOW