"Sheep Handling and Shearing" activities, including mustering, crutching, and shearing, pose risks of illness or injury to workers. These risks encompass physical injuries from various sources, manual handling injuries due to lifting and moving sheep, exposure to hazardous chemicals during certain activities, and the potential transmission of diseases from sheep to humans.

To manage these risks, workers and management should collaborate on creating a safe work environment. Employers can conduct risk assessments, implement control measures, and regularly review and maintain these measures. Workers, in turn, are responsible for following safety instructions, using equipment properly, adhering to safe work policies and procedures, and participating in relevant training.

These practices align with legal responsibilities outlined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Employers can utilize the four-step risk management process and refer to the How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021 for practical guidance.

The risk management process involves four key steps:

Step 1: Identify the Risk

• Inspect the workplace, tasks, work design, tools, equipment, and physical environment.
• Engage with workers individually, in meetings, or through surveys to discuss potential hazards.
• Review available information, including acts, regulations, codes of practice, standards, workplace records, inspection reports, and relevant external sources.
• Utilize resources such as the "How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021" for comprehensive guidance.

Step 2: Assess the Risk

• Conduct a risk assessment to determine if there is a risk to individuals.
• Evaluate existing control measures and assess their effectiveness.
• Decide on actions to control the risk and determine the urgency of implementation.
• Utilize a risk assessment template to guide and document assessments.

Step 3: Control the Risk

• Implement control measures to eliminate or reduce hazards. Complete removal of the hazard is the optimal approach.
• Use strategies like substituting the hazard with something safer, physically separating people from the hazard, or employing engineering controls.
• Specific control measures for handling and shearing sheep are outlined, covering aspects such as restraining rams, hygiene practices, equipment safety, muster planning, and environmental considerations.

Step 4: Review Risk Controls

• Regularly review control measures to ensure ongoing effectiveness.
• Review controls when they prove ineffective, before changes that may introduce new risks, upon identification of new hazards or risks, when workers suggest a review, or as requested by a health and safety representative.
• The "How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021" provides a set of questions for identifying issues during reviews.