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Livestock Handling Shearing and Animal Husbandry Risk Assessment

Livestock Handling Shearing and Animal Husbandry Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
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  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Livestock Handling Shearing and Animal Husbandry Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Livestock Handling, Shearing and Animal Husbandry through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management approach. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the WHS Act, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from operational and legal liability across farm and livestock operations.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance & PCBU Duties: Assessment of safety leadership, consultation arrangements, officer due diligence, and integration of WHS responsibilities into farm and livestock management systems.
  • Contractor & Labour Hire Management: Management of risks associated with engaging shearers, musterers and slaughter teams, including pre-qualification, induction, supervision and clear delineation of WHS duties.
  • Competency, Training & Supervision: Assessment of worker capability for animal husbandry tasks, shearing, milking and slaughtering, including training programs, refresher requirements and supervision levels.
  • Livestock Behaviour & Handling Systems: Management of risks arising from animal behaviour, yard and race design, handling aids, and development of safe systems of work for mustering, drafting and treatment.
  • Dairy Operations & Milking Systems: Assessment of hazards in milking sheds and parlours, including plant guarding, animal movement, chemical use, cleaning regimes and routine maintenance controls.
  • Shearing Sheds & Fleece/Hide Removal: Management of shearing shed layout, shearing stand design, equipment selection, workflow, noise, slips/trips and systems for safe hide or fleece removal and handling.
  • Stockyard, Abattoir & Slaughter Facility Management: Assessment of stockyard design, lairage, race and crush systems, slaughter processes, waste management and hygiene controls to minimise worker and animal risk.
  • Mechanical Feeding & Feed Management Systems: Management of augers, conveyors, mixers and automated feeding equipment, including guarding, lockout/tagout, maintenance and operator access controls.
  • Farm Vehicles, Motorbikes & Side‑by‑Sides: Assessment of mustering and general transport risks, including vehicle selection, rider/driver competency, route planning, passenger policies and rollover protection.
  • Manual Handling, Ergonomics & Work Organisation: Management of musculoskeletal risks from lifting, pushing, pulling and repetitive tasks associated with shearing, milking, feeding and animal restraint.
  • Zoonoses, Biosecurity & Chemical Exposure: Assessment of infectious disease risks, vaccination programs, hygiene facilities, pest control, agricultural and veterinary chemical selection, storage and use.
  • Environmental Conditions, Fatigue & Remote Work: Management of heat, cold, dust, noise, long hours, seasonal peaks and isolated work during mustering, night operations and remote property tasks.
  • Traffic Management & Mobile Plant Interaction: Assessment of vehicle movements, loading/unloading areas, livestock transport, contractor access and segregation of people, animals and plant.
  • Emergency Preparedness, First Aid & Incident Management: Protocols for emergency response planning, first aid resources, animal escape scenarios, severe injury management, incident reporting and corrective actions.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Farm Managers, Safety Managers and PCBU Officers responsible for planning, overseeing and auditing livestock handling, shearing, dairy and animal husbandry operations across agricultural properties.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, PCBU Duties and Consultation
  • • Lack of clear allocation of WHS responsibilities between owners, managers, contractors and labour hire providers
  • • Failure to consult with workers, including seasonal, migrant and shearer teams, about WHS issues and changes to livestock handling systems
  • • No integration of WHS Act 2011 duties into business planning and decision-making for livestock and shearing operations
  • • Inadequate consideration of overlapping duties with other PCBUs (transport companies, abattoirs, shearing contractors, feed suppliers)
  • • Poor incident reporting culture leading to under-reporting of near misses, animal handling injuries and plant-related incidents
  • • Insufficient monitoring of legal compliance, codes of practice and relevant Australian Standards for agricultural and livestock work
2. Contractor Management and Labour Hire (Shearers, Musterers, Slaughter Teams)
  • • Use of shearers, musterers, slaughterers and stock handlers without verification of competence or training
  • • Inadequate assessment of contractor WHS systems for high-risk activities such as sheep shearing, cattle herding, slaughtering and stockyard operations
  • • Lack of clarity around who controls the work environment and plant when contractors are on site
  • • Labour hire workers not inducted into specific property, dairy, poultry shed or abattoir hazards
  • • Poor communication of site rules regarding animal handling, motorbike and side-by-side use, and mechanical feeding systems to contractors
  • • Contractors pressured to meet unrealistic throughput targets, leading to shortcuts and unsafe animal handling practices
3. Worker Competency, Training and Supervision
  • • Workers performing livestock handling, milking, shearing, slaughtering or motorbike mustering without adequate skill or supervision
  • • Inadequate training in animal behaviour and low-stress handling techniques for cattle, sheep, poultry and other farm animals
  • • Lack of formal induction for new, young, seasonal and migrant workers into farm-specific and animal-specific hazards
  • • Insufficient supervision during high-risk tasks such as foot handling, castration, dehorning, mechanical feeding, use of race and crush, or removing hides or fleece
  • • No refresher training on use of plant (side-by-sides, motorbikes, feed systems, shearing plant, milking equipment) leading to unsafe practices becoming normalised
  • • Language and literacy barriers preventing understanding of procedures and safety signage
4. Livestock Behaviour and Animal Handling Systems
  • • Design of stockyards, races, crushes and poultry sheds that promotes baulking, crowding, aggression or escape attempts
  • • Lack of standardised procedures for cattle herding, sheep shearing setups, poultry catching, dairy cow movement and slaughtering preparation
  • • Overcrowding and rushed handling of animals increasing kicking, crushing, trampling or goring risk
  • • No system for segregating aggressive or injured animals from main herd or flock
  • • Failure to consider animal behaviour impacts when planning motorbike or side-by-side mustering routes and speeds
  • • Poor coordination between handlers during operations such as loading/unloading, foot inspections, hide/fleece removal and slaughtering sequences
5. Dairy Operations and Milking Systems
  • • Inadequate design or maintenance of milking parlours causing slips, trips, crush injuries and entanglement in moving parts
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to chemicals used in cleaning and sanitising milking equipment
  • • Failure of milking equipment leading to electric shock, burns or animal distress and kicking
  • • Deficient procedures for handling cows in herringbone or rotary dairies, especially nervous or fresh-calved animals
  • • Poor management of wastewater and effluent causing slippery surfaces and biological exposure
  • • Inconsistent procedures for isolation and tagging of faulty milking plant and equipment
6. Shearing Sheds, Using Shearers and Removing Hides or Fleece
  • • Poorly designed shearing sheds and board layouts leading to congestion, line-of-fire hazards and fall risks
  • • Defective or poorly guarded shearing plant causing lacerations, entanglement or electric shock
  • • Inadequate systems for fatigue management of shearers and shed hands during peak periods
  • • Unsafe manual handling techniques for catching, tipping and restraining sheep for shearing and foot handling
  • • Lack of clear procedures for coordination between farm management and contract shearing teams
  • • Uncontrolled risks during hide or fleece removal including knife injuries, repetitive strain and zoonotic exposure
7. Stockyard and Slaughtering Facility Management
  • • Inadequate design of stockyards, races, crushes and slaughter pens leading to pinch points, escape routes and worker crush zones
  • • Poorly maintained gates, latches, ramps and loading docks creating impact and fall hazards
  • • No standard system for segregation of animal classes (bulls, cows with calves, rams, cull animals) in yards and lairage areas
  • • Inconsistent pre-slaughter handling and stunning procedures leading to increased animal agitation and worker exposure
  • • Lack of traffic management controls around loading ramps and lairage where trucks, loaders and animals interact
  • • Inadequate cleaning and waste management resulting in contaminated walkways and disease vectors
8. Mechanical Animal Feeding and Feed Management Systems
  • • Poorly guarded augers, conveyors, mixers and mechanical feeding systems causing entanglement and amputation
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to dust from grain and feed causing respiratory issues and explosion risk in enclosed areas
  • • Blockage clearing performed without isolation, leading to contact with moving parts
  • • Inadequate systems for inspection and maintenance of mechanical feeders, silos and feed delivery points
  • • Overhead or elevated equipment creating fall-from-height risks during inspection and servicing
  • • Unplanned interaction between feed delivery vehicles, loaders and workers during unloading of animal feed
9. Motorbike and Side-by-Side Use for Mustering and General Farm Transport
  • • No formal system for assessing suitability of motorbikes and side-by-sides for terrain, load and mustering tasks
  • • Inadequate driver and rider competency management, including lack of training in off-road and mustering techniques
  • • Poor maintenance of motorbikes and side-by-sides leading to brake failures, tyre blowouts and steering faults
  • • Absence of property-wide traffic management rules covering speeds, routes, passengers and operating near livestock
  • • Failure to plan mustering operations considering fatigue, remoteness, communication coverage and emergency response
  • • Inadequate roll-over protection and seatbelt use systems for side-by-sides in agricultural and commercial environments
10. Manual Handling, Ergonomics and Work Organisation
  • • High manual handling demands in shearing, foot handling, milking, feeding, poultry catching and slaughtering tasks
  • • Repetitive twisting, bending and forceful exertions causing musculoskeletal disorders
  • • Work pacing and payment systems (e.g. piece rates for shearing) encouraging unsafe lifting and sustained high-intensity work
  • • Insufficient rotation of workers between tasks, leading to localised fatigue and cumulative strain
  • • Inadequate design of workstations, including height of platforms, handling of feed bags and carcasses, and access to animals’ feet
  • • Lack of early reporting culture for musculoskeletal discomfort and minor strains
11. Zoonoses, Biosecurity and Chemical Exposure
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to zoonotic diseases from cattle, sheep, poultry and other livestock (e.g. Q fever, leptospirosis, salmonella, campylobacter, avian influenza)
  • • Poor biosecurity practices during movement of livestock, visitors, contractors and feed deliveries
  • • Inadequate management of animal waste, carcasses and by-products in slaughter, dairy and poultry operations
  • • Uncontrolled use of veterinary medicines, pesticides, disinfectants and cleaning agents around animals and workers
  • • Insufficient vaccination, health surveillance and education for workers at high risk of zoonoses
  • • Inadequate decontamination and hygiene facilities (handwashing, change rooms, boot washes) for workers moving between areas
12. Environmental Conditions, Fatigue and Remote/Isolated Work
  • • Exposure to extreme heat, cold, rain, dust and UV during mustering, stock work, feeding and yard operations
  • • Extended working hours during peak periods (shearing, calving, lambing, slaughter runs, harvest) leading to fatigue and impaired decision-making
  • • Remote and isolated work in paddocks, stock routes and distant yards without reliable communication or check-in systems
  • • Poor scheduling of high-risk tasks at times of greatest fatigue (e.g. early mornings, late evenings, consecutive long days)
  • • Inadequate provision for hydration, rest, shade and shelter for workers and contractors
  • • Insufficient planning for severe weather events and their impact on livestock handling and access routes
13. Traffic Management, Deliveries and Interaction with Mobile Plant
  • • Uncontrolled interaction between livestock, workers, delivery trucks, loaders, tractors and feed vehicles around loading ramps and feed storage
  • • No clearly defined traffic routes, parking areas or exclusion zones at dairies, yards, poultry sheds or slaughter facilities
  • • Unloading of animal feed and livestock without agreed communication signals and supervision responsibilities
  • • Visitors and contractors unfamiliar with farm layout driving into stock handling or pedestrian-only zones
  • • Reversing vehicles and mobile plant operating in areas with limited visibility and high noise levels
  • • Lack of systems to manage light vehicles and buggies operating in the vicinity of mustering motorbikes and livestock movements
14. Emergency Preparedness, First Aid and Incident Management
  • • Lack of planning for emergencies common to livestock operations such as severe animal attacks, crush injuries, machinery entanglements and roll-overs
  • • Insufficient first aid resources at remote yards, dairies, shearing sheds and slaughter areas
  • • Workers and contractors unaware of emergency procedures, property addressing and how to direct emergency services to remote locations
  • • No structured incident investigation process to identify root causes and systemic failures
  • • Inadequate mechanisms for psychological support following serious incidents, animal welfare events or fatalities
  • • Poor coordination between on-farm emergency response and neighbouring properties or external emergency services

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Guidance on safe use, guarding and maintenance of farm and processing plant.
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Framework for identifying, assessing and controlling risks in agricultural operations.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Requirements for selection, storage, handling and use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.
  • Model Code of Practice – First Aid in the Workplace: Guidance on first aid facilities and response for high‑risk rural and livestock environments.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Controls for noise exposure in shearing sheds, stockyards and plant rooms.
  • AS 5340 (or successor) – Livestock Loading Ramps and Forcing Yards: Design and safety requirements for livestock loading and unloading systems.
  • AS/NZS 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use.
  • Safe Work Australia Agriculture Guidance Material: Industry-specific guidance for livestock handling, shearing, dairy and animal husbandry activities.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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