Product Overview

This Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) sets out the critical steps, hazards, and control measures for safe livestock handling, shearing, and animal husbandry activities on Australian farms and agricultural sites. It is a comprehensive, ready-to-use document that integrates multiple livestock and farm-vehicle operations to support strong WHS compliance and consistent risk management across your property or workplace.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Safe cattle herding techniques, including movement through paddocks, laneways, and yards to minimise stress and aggression
• Management of dairy operations, including milking routines, cow flow, and hygiene practices in milking sheds
• Feeding livestock using manual and mechanical methods, including safe handling of hay, grain, and supplements
• Foot handling with livestock, including safe restraint, inspection, and treatment of hooves and legs
• General handling of farm animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, with emphasis on low-stress stock handling
• Operation and guarding of mechanical animal feeding equipment such as augers, mixers, and conveyors
• Milking cows, including set-up, attachment, removal of cups, and managing kick and crush risks
• Use of motorbikes for mustering, including speed management, terrain assessment, and rider PPE requirements
• Use of side-by-side buggies in agricultural and commercial environments, including passenger safety and rollover prevention
• Poultry operations, including catching, handling, feeding, and shed entry/exit hygiene controls
• Sheep shearing activities, including penning-up, catching, dragging, shearing, and release of sheep
• Removing hides or fleece, including knife use, manual handling, and biological hazard controls
• Slaughtering livestock, including animal restraint, humane killing methods, and contamination controls
• Stockyard operations, including drafting, loading, unloading, and safe use of gates, races, and crushes
• Unloading deliveries of animal feed, including interaction with trucks, forklifts, and safe stacking of feed

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for livestock producers, dairy and poultry operators, shearers, meat and abattoir workers, farm managers, contractors, and site supervisors responsible for livestock handling and animal husbandry activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace – for safe use of motorbikes, side-by-sides, and mechanical feeding equipment
• Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace – where chemicals are used for animal treatments, cleaning, or disinfection
• Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – for systematic identification, assessment, and control of farm-related hazards
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities – for farm sheds, dairies, shearing sheds, and stockyard facilities
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – for lifting, restraining animals, handling feed, and shearing-related manual handling
• AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites – referenced for safe use of electrical equipment and leads in dairies and shearing sheds
• AS/NZS 2210: Safety, protective and occupational footwear – for appropriate protective footwear in livestock and yard environments
• AS/NZS 1337: Personal eye protection – for eye protection during shearing, slaughtering, and mechanical feeding operations
• AS/NZS 1801: Occupational protective helmets – for head protection in yards and when operating motorbikes and side-by-side vehicles, where applicable
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017