Confined Spaces
Confined spaces can be very dangerous. More than any other area of safety on dairy farms, confined spaces require the owner or person conducting the business to comply with legal regulations.
On dairy farms examples of confined spaces include: milk vats or silos, grain silos, mixing wagons, tanks, some effluent pits, wells or other enclosed or partially enclosed spaces.
By law, the person conducting the business in any workplace with an area defined as a ‘confined space’ has some serious safety management obligations.
Use your Confined spaces – Register and risk assessment guide in your induction process for new employees and relevant contractors.
Resources
In addition to the Farm Safety Manual resources, we have created 4 short videos to help farmers to understand their responsibilities and put safe work systems in place.
| Farm Safety Manual resources | |
| CS: Step by step – Setting up safety for confined spaces | |
| CS: Step by step – Setting up safety for confined spaces | |
| CS: Farm policy on safety in confined spaces | Word |
| CS: Register and risk assessment guide | Word |
| CS: Entry permit | Word |
| Further information | |
| Do a risk assessment to identify your confined spaces | Video |
| Set up an entry permit system | Video |
| Test the atmosphere in a confined space | Video |
| Set up rescue systems | Video |
| Confined spaces – Code of Practice (Safe Work Australia) | Website |
| Confined spaces – Compliance Code (WorkSafe Victoria) | Website |
