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Safer cattle handling

Practical information to help keep cattle handlers safe.

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Agriculture: Shearing

These are the most common injuries and hazards for people working in the shearing services industry, as shown by injury claims. This includes alpaca, goat and sheep shearing.

Hazards

Hazard 1
Handling animals
Ensure that the work area is designed to allow animals to be handled safely (eg provide sufficient floor space for tasks to be performed without encroaching on other shearers’ space or the entry / exit to catching pen, ensure shearer can walk backwards from the catching pen without need to turn more than 90 degrees)

Consider shed design (eg sloping boards and direction of grating).

Develop processes for safe animal handling, particularly for larger animals (eg consider pre-shearing sedation, provide a person to assist shearer to prevent animals struggling free, hold animals close to the body when handling, don’t shear wet sheep).

Provide appropriate personal protective equipment and ensure that it is worn (eg back harnesses).
Hazard 2
Heavy lifting (eg wool fleece and bales)
Ensure that the work area is designed to allow shearing to be undertaken safely (eg use drafting gates in the handling race to eliminate unnecessary handling, raised shearing boards to reduce back strain when picking up).

Provide appropriate mechanical lifting aids and equipment (eg hydraulic arm for lifting or animals and hay bales, platforms as an intermediary step if loads need to be raised over shoulder height) and ensure they are used and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

Ensure the wool table is large enough for the size of current fleeces and height adjustable to suit the user.

Train employees on how to safely use any mechanical equipment and aids, and on safe handling methods (eg ensure work is done between shoulder and mid-thigh height with the elbows close to the body).

Provide appropriate personal protective equipment and ensure that it is worn (eg back harnesses).
Hazard 3
Noise
Ensure employees are not exposed to noise that exceeds the exposure standard.

Arrange for a noise assessment if employees are exposed to noise and if there is uncertainty as to whether employees exposure may have exceeded the noise exposure standard.

Eliminate or minimise the source of noise (eg enclose or isolate noisy machinery, reduce vibration, use barriers to absorb and screens to block the direct path of sound, use silencers on air exhausts, exhaust pneumatics out of the area, locate plant and machinery away from shearing area, entrances and exits and other high traffic areas, select tools / machinery that do not exceed the noise exposure standard).

Place warning signs in noisy areas where hearing protectors must be worn to alert employees of the risk of exposure.

Ensure nearby workers are warned that noisy work will be undertaken and advise them to move away or wear hearing protection.

Provide hearing protectors and ensure they are worn. Employers should provide a choice of different types of hearing protection appropriate to the noise level in the workplace.

Ensure radios or music is not played at excessive volumes.
Hazard 4
Using machinery and shearing equipment
Before shearing commences, ensure all machinery is functioning correctly, and all electrical leads and cables are safely routed and positioned.

Ensure all plant (eg wool press) is regularly serviced and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

Fit wool presses with interlocking door mechanism and emergency stop or trip bar.

Inspect hand pieces and service regularly.

Check combs for compatibility prior to commencing shearing to prevent risk of locking up. Check blades on combs are not ground too low.

Fit a correctly operating safety clutch and always check condition and adjustment prior to shearing. Use manufacturer recommended parts (eg do not substitute pin in clutch for non-recommended part).

Clean sheep in holding pens prior to shearing.

Train employees on how to safely use any plant used (eg wool presses, shearing hand pieces).

Ensure employees remove all jewellery, tie long hair back, and wear appropriate clothing with no loose straps when working with or near plant with moving / revolving parts.
Hazard 5
Wet slippery and uneven ground
Maintain shearing sheds in good condition (eg steps, floors, doors, rails, pens, ramps).

Remove hazards such as sharp edges and protruding nails.

Provide steps with handrails for access to raised sheds and boards.

Fit guard rails around edge of boards to prevent falls.

Ensure floor surfaces in work areas are kept clear of clutter and obstructions.

Ensure access to and from shearing shed is dry, level and non-slip.

'If you are injured at work' poster

Employers must display an 'if you are injured at work' poster in every workplace. You can download and print a poster in English as well as Arabic, Chinese simplified, Chinese traditional, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Download a poster

Safer cattle handling

Farmer stories

Cattle and farm safety

Agriculture: Shearing

Hazards

Handling animals

Heavy lifting (eg wool fleece and bales)

Noise

Using machinery and shearing equipment

Wet slippery and uneven ground

'If you are injured at work' poster

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