Occupational safety, environment and waste management
What this domain tests
This section tests hazard recognition in dairy plants and environmental control: effluent, waste, refrigeration safety, chemicals and utilities. Expect practical questions on prevention and treatment.
Core rules
- Dairy hazards include wet floors, rotating shafts, hot steam/water, caustic and acid cleaners, ammonia refrigeration, confined spaces and electrical equipment.
- Use guards, lockout/tagout, PPE, MSDS training and restricted access to refrigeration and confined spaces.
- Dairy effluent has high BOD/COD, especially whey and cleaning water; treat with screening, equalization, anaerobic and aerobic biological treatment before discharge.
- Segregate waste, recover by-products where possible, and conserve water and energy.
- Obtain the required pollution-control consent and keep monitoring records.
Worked example
An effluent stream is 10 m³ with BOD 1500 mg/L. Since 1 mg/L = 1 g/m³, BOD load = 10 × 1500 = 15,000 g = 15 kg BOD. This load matters more than concentration alone because it determines treatment capacity and discharge impact.
Traps
Diluting effluent does not remove the pollutant load; it only lowers concentration and increases volume. Never mix acid and chlorine sanitizer. Ammonia leaks require evacuation and trained response, not simply closing a door. Do not assume a floor drain is a safe disposal route for whey or chemicals.