Farm safety: Dangers always present, so never drop guard

A West Gippsland livestock agent says no amount of experience reduces the need for common sense and a safety-first approach when working with livestock.

Care with animals: Livestock agent Paul Phillips said he had no hesitation about raising safety issues on farms when he encountered them. “No amount of commission makes up for any lack of safety.”

NOTEPAD in hand and pencil behind his ear, livestock agent Paul Phillips walks in to the saleyards with safety front of mind.

Earlier in his career, he used to give little more than a fleeting thought to the hazards of his job. But, after more than 35 years working with livestock in West Gippsland, Paul now looks at things differently.

“I want to come home safe and sound each night,” he said. “And now that I’m in a management position I’m also conscious of staff, not just myself.”

A stock agent’s workplace is diverse — working at clients’ properties and saleyards, handling livestock of all sizes and temperaments.

“I’ve had to work in some questionable facilities, but I’ve also seen excellent facilities,” Paul said. “If we see something — or someone — being unsafe, then it’s our call to pull them up on it. It’s everyone’s workplace and it’s as much about our safety as the farmer’s.

“No amount of commission makes up for any lack of safety.”

Livestock, especially large breeds, pose a safety risk that should be taken seriously on farms. Animals were involved in more than 10 per cent of reported on-farm deaths in Australia last year, and about 18 per cent of reported on-farm injuries.

Cattle or horses were involved in most incidents.

Paul said using common sense and looking out for colleagues was critical to make sure all staff in his care followed the rules and remained safe when handing stock.

“Respect a chain of information, and act on it,” he said. “For example, today I was told about a flighty bull going into the saleyards. The carrier has warned me about the bull and now I’ve passed that information on to the saleyard staff — it’s only courtesy.”

Combining low stress and safe handling techniques, with well-designed and maintained yards helps ensure safety, Paul said.

A quality, well-functioning crush is a vital tool for handling cattle safely in yards. A freely moving head bail is essential to catch the animal and restrain the head. The bail should provide head control without injuring the cattle and have a locking system that can be operated with one hand.

“Of equal importance are gates that swing and latch easily,” Paul said.

A bigger holding yard attached to stockyard facilities also increases safety — “particularly for people buying cattle in to fatten, so that when you bring your new cattle on to your property they can acclimatise; and also to contain cattle for biosecurity reasons,” Paul said.

Handlers should aim to minimise stress for the animal to maximise their own safety.

While most cattle can be unpredictable, Paul said it was important that breeders selected cattle with good temperaments. All workers should always approach cattle quietly and allow them time to adjust to a person’s presence. Understand animal flight zones and their point of balance, which is usually the animal’s shoulder. All species will move forward if a handler stands behind the point of balance and back up if a handler stands in front of that point.

Keep cattle calm and be aware of surroundings at all times.

Paul’s saga of the flighty bull ended safely because common sense prevailed.

“I sold the bull direct — without going through the weighing and yard system — he was too dangerous to handle,” Paul said.