Health and Safety in Shearing (PDF 917kb) - WorkSafe Victoria

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8.2 Shearing and crutchingHazard or riskBack, shoulder, arm and hand injuries can happenduring animal handling.Cuts from contact with handpieces.Shearers can fall from raised boards after being“kicked” out of position while shearing.Lockup occurs when the handpiece becomesjammed.A sheep may become out of control and the shedhand is powerless to assist the shearer becausethey cannot reach the on/off rope or assist incontrolling the sheep.Increases in body and fleece weight have addedto the overall effort required to maneuver sheepduring crutching and shearing. This trend for breedenhancement increases the risk of back injuries andother musculoskeletal disorders in the industry.In some older style sheds the design is inadequateto handle the increased size of stock therebyincreasing the effort required to process sheep.Wet sheep and wet wool increase the risk ofinfections and other adverse health effects.Risk controlUse of suspension back harnesses. These decreasethe load on the shearers’ back and spine and reducemuscle strain. There must be a sufficiently strongadequate suspension point in good repair locatedproperly above the board and the harness must beclear of overhead obstructions. See also Section 6.4Consider handpiece design and modifications, anduse more effective and safer handpieces as theybecome available (see Section 7.2).To prevent falls from raised boards have a safetyrail around the board, edge marking or other suitablerisk controls.Have cutoff switches that shed hands can get toon the face of the board on each stand.Before shearing mobs of rams, negotiations betweenthe owner/manager and contractor/shearing teammembers can take place to determine a method forshearing that allows adequate support to beavailable to shearers in the event of a ram strugglingfree or becoming free on the board. The extra supportperson(s) can then be used to disengage machinesin the event of an emergency and/or assist withholding or re-catching stock.Modify the shed to handle the increased size ofsheep e.g. enlarging let-go chutes, changing thebatten orientation in the catching pen.Where possible minimize the number of wet sheepto be shorn and delay shearing wet sheep.General risk controls• To make the sheep easier to handle it isimportant to empty out sheep prior toshearing and crutching.• Have sheep propulsion devices in stock races.• Clean boards with an air compressor.32 Health & Safety in Shearing
There is now available a range of handling equipmentfor shearing and crutching including rotating cradlesystems, raised race systems, conveyor systems, trailersystems for shearing and crutching and shearingtables. This equipment has been developed to improveproductivity, quality and health and safety and shouldbe considered when developing longer term riskcontrols. Further information can be found in thepublication Ergonomics of Sheep Handling Equipmentfor Shearing and Crutching (WorkSafe NSW, February1999).9 Employees’ contribution to identifyinghazards, assessing risks and eliminating orreducing risksHazard identification, risk assessment and risk control• A set up where all workers can participate in theidentification of hazards should be in place.– Procedures to enable workers to relay findingsto the owner/manager, possibly through thecontractor, will decrease the risk to all workersin the shed when action is taken to control theidentified hazards. Workers should reporthazards to health and safety to their health andsafety representative and their supervisor or theowner/manager.– All injuries and symptoms (e.g. symptoms ofheat stress) should be immediately attended toand reported to the health and safetyrepresentative and employer.– All accidents, incidents and near missesshould be reported to the health and safetyrepresentative and employer whether an injuryresults or not.• Employees must cooperate with all risk controlmeasures implemented in the workplace.• The physical demands of shearing and shed workrequire that workers have a reasonable level offitness. The primary responsibility to ensure fitnessis with the employee.• Exercises for shearers and other good advice aboutlooking after yourself can be found in ‘AustralianRules’ of Shearing – An Exercise Guide For Shearers’.• Clothing – The clothing worn should be appropriatefor the job and include suitable footwear whichcovers the whole foot.• Hygiene – Good personal hygiene by all workers inthe shed environment will reduce the risk ofinfection from cuts and grazes. This includesensuring hands and forearms are washed prior to“smokos” and meals.• Smoking – Smoking in the shed poses not only along-term risk to the health of all workers but cantrigger episodes of asthma in some workers. Theprincipal control measure is to not allow smokingin the shed and meal break areas. This also reducesthe risk of clip contamination. As per the Code ofPractice for the AWEX Quality System “… to avoidcontamination. all wool preparation and handlingareas within the shearing shed must be smoke freework areas”.• Drinking – Dehydration as a result of sweating canlead to serious heat effects including heat strokewhich can be life threatening. It is also common tobecome dehydrated without any obvious signs suchas extreme thirst. When working in heat it isnecessary to drink regularly even if you aren’tfeeling thirsty.• Workers should drink at least one cup (250 ml) ofwater or juice before, during (if practical) and atthe conclusion of each run. Overall fluid intake inhot conditions should be at least one cup of wateror juice for every 20 minutes. An adequate andreadily available supply of clean and cool watershould be available to all workers throughout theday in the shed.• Coffee, cola drinks or tea should be avoided asthey increase dehydration. Excessive alcoholconsumption away from work increases thelikelihood of dehydration and increases the needfor rehydration at work.• Warming up/down – Given the physical nature ofwork in the woolshed, it is necessary that adequatewarm up and warm down by workers at the startand conclusion of each “run” be completed,particularly in cold conditions. These exercises willassist in limiting the extent of back injury in theindustry.• Bare feet are unacceptable in the shearing shed.Adequate footwear must be worn by everyone inthe shed. Shearing footwear improves grip andstability, decrease risks of slipping and falling,decreases fatigue and protects the feet.Health & Safety in Shearing 33
Page 5 and 6: Overview1 What this document is, wh
Page 7 and 8: 4.2 Duties of employeesAn employee
Page 10 and 11: 5.3 Practicable risk controlsThe le
Page 12 and 13: 6.2 Sheep pens and gatesHazard or r
Page 14 and 15: The mesh floor of this pen makesthe
Page 16 and 17: In this pen thebattens are parallel
Page 18 and 19: The pen doors are a good design for
Page 20 and 21: 6.6 Wool and press rooms - hazards
Page 22 and 23: Throwing.There is good circulations
Page 24 and 25: 7 Machinery7.1 Overhead gear and sh
Page 26 and 27: 7.1 Overhead gear and shearing plan
Page 28 and 29: 7.3 Grinders (continued)Hazard or r
Page 30 and 31: 7.5 Shearers’ tools and equipment
Page 32 and 33: 7.8 Electrical safetyIn addition to
Page 36 and 37: 10 Work in heat and cold10.1 Risks
Page 38 and 39: 12 DustsHazard or riskDusts in the
Page 40 and 41: 14 Diseases from animals (Zoonoses)
Page 42 and 43: 16 First aidArrangements for First
Page 44 and 45: 17 Accommodation, amenities andtrav
Page 47 and 48: AppendicesAppendix 1 - Further info
Page 49 and 50: Other publications and sources• A
Page 51 and 52: ItemNo.Machinery12 Before shearing
Page 53 and 54: Shearing Health and Safety - Risk C
Page 55 and 56: Number oneCatching pen floorsTradit
Page 57 and 58: Number threeRelease chutesTradition

Health and Safety in Shearing (PDF 917kb) - WorkSafe Victoria

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