Accidents can happen during any shearing activity. Without the proper safety measures followed, there is no safe workplace. Many times shearers get injured while handling full sheep. For other activities, the possibility of health hazards cannot be ignored.  

Safety is a key aspect of any workforce management, and your shearing business is no exception. With the appropriate policy and procedures implemented, employees can work productively. A better approach to safety policy is indispensable, without a doubt.

If you look forward to ensuring a safer workplace, remember the agricultural and shearing-related policy and procedures. 

The development of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep (Sheep S&G) was an important initiative of all governments and sheep industries to guide the development of new, nationally consistent standards to enhance animal welfare arrangements in all Australian states and territories.

Handling sheep, especially the sheep which are full of feed and water, can cause severe injuries to the shearer. Both farmers and shearing industry personnel have very real concerns regarding the emptying out of sheep before shearing. Farmers worry that prolonged periods off feed before shearing can:

• Affect the growth and development of unborn lambs when ewes are shorn during pregnancy. 

• Cause metabolic problems in ewes when they shorn in late pregnancy. 

• Cause permanent weight loss or reduced growth in lambs when ewes are shorn with lambs at feet.

Shearers and other woolshed staff are concerned that full sheep:

• Add to the already heavy drag-out weight of many ewes. 

• Kick and struggle more during shearing. 

• Cause hazardous conditions in the catching pens and on the shearing board by passing more feces and urine. 

Consultation is a legal requirement and a crucial part of managing health and safety risks. A person, who is conducting a business or undertaking it, should consult with workers, who carry out work for the business or undertaking, and who are directly or indirectly affected by the health and safety matter. The task is based on the concept that workers input and participation improves decision-making about health and safety matters and assists in reducing work-related diseases and injuries. So, you should consult with your contractors and sub-contractors and their workers, volunteers and other people, who are working for you, and are affected by a health and safety matter. Workers are entitled to take part in consultation arguments and to be represented in relation to work health and safety by a health and safety representative who has been elected to represent their work group. If workers are represented by a health and safety representative, consultative should involve that representative.

Pesticides and herbicides along with other chemicals are used in the agricultural sites to allow a noticeable increase in crop yields and food production. Pesticides are substances or organisms used to incapacitate, kill, inhibit the growth of, or repel pests, while an herbicide is a chemical substance, which will kill or inhibit the growth of plants. When used appropriately, pesticides can control environmental pests efficiently, and herbicides control the growth and spread of weeds. However, they are not used in a proper manner, they can put human health trade, and environment at risk.

Falls are a major cause of death and serious health injuries in workplaces. Fall hazards are found in diverse workplaces where work is carried out at height, like stacking shelves, unloading a large truck, working on a roof, or accessing silos. Falls can also occur at ground levels into holes, for instance, trenches or service pits.

Noise at workplace causes deafness and leads to absenteeism, employee turnover, and lowered work performance. Moreover, it contributes to workplace injuries and accidents. Managing the risk related to noise will assist in:

The use, storage, and transport of chemicals including pesticides and herbicides can cause several complications and put human health at risk, especially when it is not handled properly. In order to ensure that your employees don’t face any health hazard, [YOUR COMPANY NAME] should follow a Code of Practice.