Pig Handling

Proper handling of pigs is crucial to prevent serious injuries. Familiarize yourself with the potential risks associated with pig handling and adopt safety measures to protect yourself and others.

Understanding 'Pig Handling' The term 'pig handling' encompasses activities related to raising and processing pigs. These activities range from relocating pigs to different pens and conducting pregnancy tests to administering medication and weighing the animals.

Risks Associated with Pig Handling

1. Physical Injury: Pigs, despite being intelligent and curious, can react unpredictably to new experiences, causing handlers to be knocked over, bitten, charged, tusked, or pinned to equipment. Piglets, too, pose a tripping hazard.
2. Other Risks: Common hazards associated with animal handling, such as hazardous manual tasks, exposure to dangerous chemicals and medicines, and the potential transmission of diseases from animals.

Managing Risks To mitigate the risks associated with pig handling, collaboration between workers and management is essential. Establishing a safe work environment benefits everyone involved. Explore ways to create a secure workplace.

Responsibilities for Workers As a worker, you are obligated under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to exercise reasonable care for your own safety and that of others affected by your actions. Adhere to any reasonable health and safety instructions from your employer, operate equipment correctly, follow safe work policies and procedures, and participate in relevant training.

Responsibilities for Businesses Employers or persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) bear the responsibility of managing risks associated with animal handling, as mandated by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Adopting the Four-Step Risk Management Process:

1. Identify risks associated with pig handling.
2. Assess the potential impact and likelihood of these risks.
3. Implement control measures to eliminate or minimize identified risks.
4. Regularly review and update risk management procedures.

Compliance with work health and safety (WHS) laws can be further facilitated by referring to the practical guidance provided in the "How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021" (PDF, 0.65 MB).

Four steps to manage risk:

Step 1: Hazard Identification

The initial phase of the risk management process involves recognizing potential hazards. This entails identifying all relevant elements and situations that could contribute to an incident. Deliberate on potential issues and assess their consequences.

Conduct Workplace Inspections Examine:

1. How tasks are executed.
2. The design and management of work.
3. The tools, equipment, and objects in use.
4. The physical work environment.

Engage with Workers Initiate discussions with your workforce regarding potential hazards. This can be done individually, through meetings, or by conducting surveys.

Utilize Available Information Examine acts, regulations, codes of practice, and standards related to animal handling and pig handling. The pig welfare code, for instance, advocates for acceptable pig management practices, promoting considerate and efficient treatment and handling of pigs across various production systems.

Identify Trends in Existing Information Analyze available information, including workplace records, inspection reports, sick leave records, worker complaints, and injury compensation claims, to identify patterns.

Access Information from Various Sources Refer to regulators, industry associations, unions, safety consultants, as well as designers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers for insights into potential risks.

For comprehensive guidance on hazard identification, consult the "How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021" (PDF, 0.65 MB).

Step 2: Risk Assessment

After identifying potential risks, proceed with a risk assessment and determine:

1. Whether there is a risk to yourself or others.
2. The existence of effective control measures already in place.
3. Actions that can be implemented to control the risk.
4. The urgency with which action should be taken.

Feel free to utilize the risk assessment template (DOCX, 0.02 MB) as a guide to facilitate and document your assessments.

Step 3: Risk Management – Implementing Controls

Once potential risks have been identified, it is crucial to establish control measures. Ideally, the most effective approach is to eliminate the hazard entirely. If complete removal is not feasible, the goal is to minimize the risk as much as possible.

This can be achieved by:

1. Substituting the hazard with a safer alternative.
2. Physically separating individuals from the hazard using barriers or fences.
3. Employing engineering controls or equipment, such as lifting devices.

Key Control Measures for Pig Handling:

1. Practice patience and gentleness. Avoid yelling or aggression, as a calm environment minimizes stress and facilitates easier movement of pigs. Move quietly, slowly, and deliberately.
2. Move pigs in small groups to reduce stress. Pigs prefer being in small groups, and moving large groups can be challenging.
3. Allow pigs to explore their environment during movement. Minimize visual distractions, such as changes in color, gaps, shadows, or open walls. Use solid panels and rams to block their sight and sounds.
4. Familiarize pigs with human interaction by handling them daily. Recognize signs of stress, including panting, squealing, barking, blotchy skin, stiffness, shaking, increased heart rate, and elevated body temperature.
5. Keep boars separated, especially during the mating season when they can become aggressive. Detusk boars if tusks become excessively large.
6. Exercise caution when lifting pigs. Utilize lifting boards for boars and employ appropriate restraints like crushes, nose ropes, and drafting boards.
7. Ensure sterilization of needles, teeth cutters, and ear pliers, and enforce stringent hygiene practices among operators.
8. Design raceways that encourage free movement for pigs and ensure they are not slippery.
9. Wear suitable protective clothing and maintain good personal hygiene. Use hearing protection when feeding pigs.

Step 4: Continuous Evaluation of Risk Controls

Risk management is an ongoing and dynamic process that necessitates regular assessments to ensure the effectiveness of control measures. Regular checks are essential, and if any issues arise, it is crucial to revisit the risk management steps, reevaluate the information, and determine whether new controls are necessary.

According to work health and safety laws, it is mandatory to review controls in the following situations:

1. When awareness arises that a control measure is not functioning effectively.
2. Prior to any changes that may introduce new risks.
3. Upon discovery of a new hazard or risk.
4. When workers indicate the need for a review.
5. In response to a request from a health and safety representative.

For assistance in identifying potential issues during the review process, refer to the list provided in the "How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021" (PDF, 0.65 MB).