Loading and unloading cattle poses significant risks that can lead to serious or fatal injuries for cattle producers, livestock transport operators, and handlers. These activities involve moving cattle onto and off livestock trailers or trucks, typically occurring on properties and at saleyards. Risks include being crushed, kicked, trampled, gored, and other injuries due to the unpredictable behavior of large animals in confined spaces.
Cross-loading, the transfer of cattle between trailers, is considered particularly hazardous, involving the added risks of falls from heights and slips on unclean surfaces inside trailers.
To manage these risks, workers are advised to prioritize their own safety and that of others, cooperating with management to meet health and safety requirements. Employers and business owners have legal responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and a four-step risk management process is recommended to address these concerns. Practical advice is available in the "How to manage work health and safety risks code of practice 2021." The goal is to create a safe working environment and reduce the potential for injuries during the loading and unloading of cattle.
The four steps to manage the risks associated with loading and unloading cattle involve:
- Identifying the Risk:
- Evaluate the work processes, considering worker training, equipment suitability, and cattle transportation suitability.
- Communicate with workers to gather insights on potential hazards and improvements.
- Regularly review records, including workers' compensation claims, incidents, sick leave, and complaints.
- Assessing the Risk:
- Evaluate the severity and likelihood of harm for each identified hazard.
- Utilize a risk assessment template to guide and document assessments.
- Controlling the Risk:
- Follow the hierarchy of controls to eliminate or minimize risks.
- Additional measures for loading and unloading cattle include ensuring suitable holding yards, using low-stress cattle handling techniques, planning for trips, and maintaining appropriate loading ramps.
- For cross-loading, control measures may involve using specialized modules with elevated platforms, walkways, and sliding gates.
- Reviewing Risk Controls:
- Regularly review control measures to ensure effectiveness.
- Proactively address issues, change or adjust approaches as needed.
- Comply with work health and safety laws requiring reviews prompted by ineffectiveness, new risks, identified hazards, worker requests, or health and safety representative input.
The goal is to sustain a work environment without health and safety risks, aligning with work health and safety laws.