Farm safety - sheep and shearing

Handling sheep can cause a variety of manual injuries, ranging from strains and sprains through to broken bones. Badly designed shearing sheds and yards can be dangerous. Make your farm a safe working environment by identifying potential hazards and modifying the layout, equipment and safety practices of your operation. This will ensure that workers are less likely to injure themselves and your sheep.

Inexperienced or unfit workers are more likely to injure themselves, so it is important to train your staff thoroughly and encourage them to maintain their fitness by exercising and eating well.

Risk assessment
You can assess potential risks in many ways:

• Walk through all sheep handling areas and look for hazards.
• Consult with farm safety advisers from WorkSafe Victoria – they may provide free consultations.
• Read over injury records to pinpoint recurring dangers.
• Talk over safety issues with other sheep handlers.
• Remember that inexperienced or unfit workers are at greater risk of manual handling injuries.

• Remain hydrated by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
• Exercise regularly to improve and maintain fitness and stamina.
• Improve their health and fitness (especially unfit workers). Only allow a worker to perform a task if you are confident they can handle it.
• Eat a well-balanced diet – always provide healthy, nutritious meal options if you are required to feed workers.
• Stretch and warm up before shearing with gentle exercises and cool down afterwards with slow, continuous stretches – your doctor or physical therapist can provide advice about safe stretching to avoid further injury.
• Take regular breaks to alleviate fatigue.
• Protect their backs by paying attention to good workplace and equipment design (ergonomics), posture and using supportive braces.
• When handling a sheep, keep the animal close to their body and lift with their thigh muscles.
• Work in yards and handling areas that are designed to minimise the handling and lifting of sheep.
• Always get help when lifting heavy loads or use a hoist.

• Use non-slip surfaces on all tracks and walkways.
• Design a yard layout that allows sheep to work freely.
• Fit protective coverings (shade and shelter) to working and drafting races.
• Build yards on inclines rather than flat ground as they tend to drain better and sheep prefer running up a slight incline.
• Ensure adequate and even light.
• Regularly maintain all equipment and make sure appropriate safety guards are used.
• Be aware of high noise levels – where possible, use hearing protection, choose quieter equipment, install mufflers and noise covers, place equipment away from workers and limit the volume of radios and CD players.
• Ensure that all workers use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles and gloves when grinding cutters.
• Store chemicals correctly and follow the safety instructions on the label.
• Use a cradle when marking or mulesing lambs.
• Understand sheep diseases and promptly treat any animal with symptoms.
• Be aware that animals can transmit diseases to humans via saliva, urine or open wounds.
• Practise good personal hygiene. Always wash your hands before eating and after handling sheep.

• Ensure that all workers use recommended safety equipment, such as skin protection, ear and eye protection and a face mask.
• Use chemicals correctly according to the manufacturers’ instructions.
• Keep all equipment in good repair and replace faulty parts.
• Immediately see your doctor if you experience headaches, nausea or other ill effects after using chemicals for dipping, jetting or drenching of blow fly treatments.

• Plan the muster in advance and work out a plan with your workers.
• Assume that every ram will act aggressively and unpredictably.
• Don’t rush the muster – a calm approach results in a calmer mob.
• Use sheep dogs rather than horse or motorbike riders to control the mob.

• Make sure the shed is well ventilated and well lit.
• Place guards on all shearing machinery.
• Space your workers out to avoid clashing of downtubes.
• Use electric motors on wool presses to reduce noise pollution.
• Regularly maintain all equipment and keep in good repair.
• Make sure that emergency stop buttons are easily reached.
• Keep all walkways free from obstructions.
• Make sure catching pen floors are dry and non-slip.
• Keep other workers, children and dogs out of the shed.
• Discuss sedation with your veterinarian when shearing rams.
• Keep a stocked and up-to-date first aid kit in a readily accessible place.
• Regularly check and maintain fire-fighting equipment, such as extinguishers.
• Thoroughly train new workers.

• Ensure easy access to a suitable and well-stocked first aid kit.
• Make sure at least one person on the farm is trained in first aid.
• Keep emergency numbers and correct addresses next to the telephone.
• Plan routes to the nearest hospital.
• Regularly talk through your emergency plan with your family and other workers.
• Make sure your children understand what to do in an emergency.

• Your doctor.
• In an emergency, always call triple zero (000) for an ambulance
• National Centre for Farmer Health Tel. (03) 5551 8533
• WorkSafe Victoria Tel. (03) 9641 1444 or 1800 136 089
• Victorian Farm Safety Centre Tel. (03) 5335 3717
• Department of Primary Industries Tel. 136 186
• Farmsafe Australia Tel. (02) 6752 8218

• Handling sheep can cause a variety of manual injuries, ranging from strains and sprains through to broken bones.

• Reducing the risk of manual handling injuries includes attention to posture, correct lifting techniques and maintaining fitness.
• Walk through all sheep handling areas and look for hazards, then make the necessary changes to improve safety.
• Inexperienced workers are at greater risk of injury, so make sure they are thoroughly trained.

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