safe shearing

The shearing industry continues to be an iconic part of the Australian economy. It is due to the ever-increasing demand from all around the world and the industry's willingness to meet it with world-class wool.

But shearing is recognised as a high-risk occupation. And shearers experience different types of injuries and illness, ranging from strains and sprains through broken bones, falls and trips, exposure to noise and diseases caused by sheep and more.

If you want to enhance the safety of your shearing facility, dive into the details and work accordingly -

Create a Safe Working Environment

 General suggestions for improving the safety of shearers when handling sheep include

  • Use non-slip surfaces on all walkways and tracks
  • Ensure adequate lighting
  • Make sure all workers use personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Use and store chemicals properly
  • Encourage to practice good personal hygiene

Abide by the Health and Safety Policies

Workplace safety is one of the main priorities for all industries across the world. And shearing is no exception. Safe working facilities in Australia have fewer occupational health costs, better employee retention and less retaining time. The policies that you should always follow are -

  • Plant management in the workplace
  • Managing the work environment and facilities
  • Managing the hazardous chemicals in the workplace
  • Chemical management in the workplace
  • First-aid in workplace
  • Electrical risk in the workplace

Prevent Back Pain with Effective Measures

Prolonged back muscle contraction, bending squeezes, twisting one-way trunk action and many other things cause acute back pain among shearers. Although there is no panacea to cure the pain instantly, some preventive measures can help the shearers -

  1. Use back aid support harness
  2. Experiment with the spring tension
  3. Focus on spinal decompression

To Wrap Up

Lowering health and safety-related issues and eliminating injuries in shearing facilities will be possible only when policies and procedures, along with the preventive measures are followed properly. To get more such updates on the shearing industry, checkout to our blogs now!