Understanding the Risks: A Worker's Perspective
Recognizing the Perils of Horse Handling
- Horses, though magnificent, pose significant safety risks.
- Your understanding of these risks is crucial for personal safety and the safety of others in the workplace.
Horse Handling Activities: Your Daily Involvement Matters
Defining Horse Handling in Your Work Environment
- Riding horses
- Caring for horses (stabling, leading, grooming, medicating, breeding)
- Moving horses (loading and unloading from trailers)
In your daily work at farms, equestrian centers, or horse-related industries, these activities are part of your routine.
Identifying Risks: A Worker's Responsibility
Physical Injury Risks: Understanding the Dangers
- Horses can cause serious injuries, including head and spinal injuries, bites, lacerations, fractures, and even fatalities.
- Visitors, new, and inexperienced workers are more vulnerable due to a lack of understanding of horse behavior and workplace dynamics.
Hazardous Tasks and Health Risks: Shared Challenges
- Hazards of manual tasks and exposure to chemicals and medicines are common in animal handling.
- Diseases such as ringworm, leptospirosis, and Hendra virus can be contracted from horses.
Managing Risks: Your Active Participation
For Workers: Your Duty to Ensure Safety
- Understand your responsibility under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
- Follow health and safety instructions, use equipment properly, adhere to policies, and attend training.
For Businesses: Your Duty to Manage Risks
Four Steps to Manage Risk
Step 1: Identify the Risk
- Inspect the workplace, consider how tasks are done, and review the physical work environment.
- Engage with workers to discuss potential hazards.
- Review available information about animal handling regulations and standards.
Step 2: Assess the Risk
- Evaluate the existence of risks and check the effectiveness of control measures.
- Decide on actions to control risks and urgency of implementation.
- Utilize risk assessment templates to guide your decisions.
Step 3: Control the Risk
- Implement control measures, prioritizing the removal of hazards.
- Use physical barriers, engineering controls, or equipment to reduce risks.
Control Measures in Horse Handling: Your Checklist
- Create and maintain a safe physical environment in stables and yards.
- Limit access and establish strict rules for visitors.
- Ensure riding instructors are qualified.
- Use suitable clothing and personal protective equipment.
Safe Horse Handling Practices: Your Guidelines for Compensation Protection
Wearing Protective Equipment: Prioritizing Your Safety
- Utilize protective gear when handling horses, especially if you might come into contact with fluids that could transmit diseases.
- Wear suitable clothing, including a safety-approved riding helmet, gloves, and appropriate footwear.
Managing Equipment: Safeguarding Your Workplace
- Choose, fit, and maintain equipment properly to ensure rider safety.
- Regularly inspect and maintain all riding equipment and tack.
Matching Horses to Tasks: Your Responsibility
- Ensure horses are suitable and safe for riders based on experience, size, and task.
- Follow safe riding practices, wearing approved safety gear.
Road Riding Safety Tips: Protecting Yourself on the Job
- Be cautious when crossing or riding on roads, especially if riders are inexperienced.
- Conduct practice exercises before riding on roads.
- Keep groups small, follow proper signaling, and ride in good light with reflective gear.
Continuous Review: Your Vigilance Matters for Compensation Claims
Ongoing Risk Management: Protecting Your Right to Compensation
- Regularly check the effectiveness of control measures.
- Conduct reviews when needed, especially after incidents or changes in the workplace.
- Comply with work health and safety laws to ensure a safe work environment.
Standards and Compliance: Ensuring Compensation Eligibility
- Follow the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and relevant regulations.
- Adhere to codes of practice, such as the How to manage work health and safety risks code of practice 2021.
- Reference industry-specific codes like the Horse Riding Schools, Trail Riding Establishments, and Horse Hiring Establishments Industry Code of Practice 2002.
Your commitment to safety not only safeguards your well-being but also strengthens potential compensation claims in case of workplace accidents or injuries.