Wildlife Handling Snake and Venomous Animal Safety SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers planning and undertaking wildlife handling activities involving snakes, venomous animals, mammals, birds and wildlife in varied locations. It supports work planning and risk management for bites, stings, animal escape, contamination, difficult access, transport and emergency response.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Plan the work, assess available information and prepare for remote response needs
• Establish an exclusion zone on arrival
• Assess wildlife species and surrounding conditions
• Approach and handle ground wildlife, including snakes
• Handle spiders and insects while managing bite, sting and dust exposure
• Manage mammals and birds
• Search vehicles and buildings for wildlife
• Rescue trapped wildlife and manage entanglement and fall hazards
• Work near water and manage surrounding hazards
• Carry out outdoor cleaning where wildlife, sharps or droppings may be present
• Provide first aid response and arrange transport or release
• Clean equipment, report outcomes and complete sign-off

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out wildlife handling, removal, rescue or related outdoor activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011, primary duty of care, consultation, information, training, supervision, and incident notification requirements
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011, rr 34-38 managing risks, r 39 provision of information, training and instruction, r 42 first aid, r 43 emergency plans, r 44 remote or isolated work, rr 46-49 personal protective equipment, and hazardous manual task duties where applicable
• Code of Practice: Construction Work, requirements to identify hazards, apply the hierarchy of controls, and prepare SWMS for high risk construction work where applicable
• Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace, including outdoor and remote first aid modules and infection-control precautions for first aiders
• Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work, including animal bites, venom exposure, zoonoses, field and remote worker first aid, and training for workers exposed to biological hazards
• Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work, including remote or isolated work, fatigue, support and communication arrangements
• Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities, for remote or isolated work communication and welfare arrangements as referenced by first aid guidance

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections