Safety Leadership Training: Implementation and Effectiveness Evaluation in the Dairy Farm Industry

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Agricultural Safety
• Workplace Training and Development

Background:

• Evidence-based interventions are crucial for preventing workplace safety incidents, yet studies on safety leadership and climate are limited, especially in the U.S. Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) sector.
• The AgFF sector faces challenges in adopting evidence-based occupational safety and health practices, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-module dairy leadership training program for supervisors in the U.S. Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) sector.
• To assess participant reactions, knowledge acquisition, and skill application using the Kirkpatrick Model (KM).

Main Methods:

• A 12-module dairy leadership training program was delivered to 73 dairy farm supervisors across 27 U.S. farms.
• The Kirkpatrick Model (KM) was used to evaluate training effectiveness at multiple levels, including participant reactions, knowledge gained, and behavior change.
• Post-training interviews were conducted with 21 supervisors to gather feedback.

Main Results:

• Participant reactions were positive (KM level 1), with 90% gaining new safety leadership knowledge (KM level 2) applicable to their roles (KM level 3).
• Observed safety hazards included livestock handling (21.6%), trips/falls (17.1%), and moving machinery (10.4%).
• Verbal conflicts constituted the largest percentage of observed workplace conflicts (27.8%).

Conclusions:

• The dairy leadership training program was positively received by supervisors.
• Participants acquired enhanced skills in identifying safety hazards and workplace conflicts, contributing to improved safety practices in dairy farming.