Farm Safety

Why?

• Emergencies involving farm animals can challenge even the most experienced animal handler.

• In stressful situations, farm animals are very unpredictable and can pose significant danger to themselves, the general public and those individuals that are trying to help or contain them

In general

1. Use common sense2. Ask questions3. Understand animal behavior

1. To predict how an animal will behave/react4. Never approach animals without permission5. Never approach large animals by yourself

Precautions• Keep in barn or in vehicle– First aid kit for humans– First aid kit for animals– Emergency numbers• veterinarian• ICE #’s for staff members

Animal safety• There are more injuries each year from farm

animals than there are from tractors or machinery.

• Poor judgment and lack of understanding of animal behavior are the main causes of accidents.

Hazards

• There are four common types of animal handling injuries: – Animal steps on handler – Animal slips and falls on handler – Animal pins or squeezes handler against a barrier – Animal kicks handler

Animal safety• Before working with livestock understand that they

have • Unique vision characteristics– Poor depth perception

• Sensitive to noise• Sensitive to smells – they can smell things we can’t• Strong territorial instincts• Assess your lighting situation and avoid rapid

changes from light to dark.

Animal behavior

• People who regularly work with livestock realize that each animal has its own personality, however, certain animal behaviors are predictable.– Most animals respond to calm, gentle, and

consistent handling. – Livestock become uneasy or skittish when their

ordinary routines or familiar surroundings change.

Animal behavior

• Animals have a definite social order. • Dominant animals have first choice of feed,

location, and direction of travel.• Crowding a subordinate animal against a

dominant one during handling may disrupt their social structure and cause an unpredictable and dangerous response.

Animal behavior

• Livestock detect people by their movement, which is much more important to animals than what is moving, or the location, color, or identity of the moving object.

• A handler's excited or aggressive movements may cause animals to stop and watch the activity rather than respond to the handling. Therefore, it is important to move calmly and steadily when handling animals (fluid)

Livestock senses

• Most livestock rely heavily on their senses of smell, hearing, and to a lesser extent, sight.

• The sense of smell is particularly important to animals, and they will often react to odors that people cannot detect.

• Cattle may be lured by the smell of freshly mown hay, or a bull may become aggressive if he detects a cow in heat.

• Odors can trigger defensive reactions in livestock, especially females with newborns.

Livestock senses

• Animals have extremely sensitive hearing. • They hear high-pitched sounds better than

humans and loud high- pitched noises often frighten or excite them.

• In addition to injuries from accidents, farm animals can also transmit diseases to humans such as leptospirosis, rabies and ringworm.

• Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans are known as zoonoses.

• Infections may result from direct or indirect contact with diseased animals, their manure, their urine, and their bedding, or through animal products (milk, meat, hides, hair).

tips on working safely around livestock:

Approaching Animals

• Announce your approach

• Touch an animal’s front or side

• Avoid common kicking region

Animals

• Many livestock species are herd animals– Sheep, Alpaca’s, Horses, Cattle, Goats

• “gregarious”• They feel safest when with their own kind. • They may become very nervous and

dangerous to handle if separated from the herd.

Use caution approaching animals that are:

– Frightened– Hurt– Sick– Protecting

their young– Intact males

Approaching animals

• Female animals are most dangerous when they are with their babies or when they are in heat.

Body language

• How can you tell if an animal is agitated or nervous?– Ears pinned back– Snort– raised back– paw the ground– pacing – Unusual noises

Body language• What should you do if you observe that

an animal is upset?–Put a fence/barrier in between you and the

animal–Get assistance

Leave yourself an “out”

• Avoid small, enclosed areas

• Use adequate restraining and handling facilities

• Work outside chutes

• Many injuries are caused by a startled animal pinning the handler against some surface.

• When working around livestock, always leave yourself a way out, especially when working in close quarters.

• Plan ahead. Always wear the proper personal protective equipment for the job.

tips on working safely around livestock:

Personal equipment

• Boots!– Non skid soles– Steel toe– Waterproof

• Long pants • Gloves• Hats• Glasses• Safety equipment• Dust mask/respirator

Gloves

• To protect against contracting or transmitting diseases through skin contact, handlers should wear disposable rubber latex gloves when treating sick animals or assisting with births.

Dust mask• A dust mask should be worn when

working in dusty conditions. • Repeated and prolonged exposure to

agricultural dusts can cause short-term reactions and lead to respiratory diseases such as "farmer's lung."

• Animals respond to routine; be calm and deliberate, avoid sudden movements. –Use fluid movements

tips on working safely around livestock:

tips on working safely around livestock:

• Due to eye locations, all animals see differently• Avoid the animal’s “blind spot”. Approach from

the front or side.

Cattle have what is called a panoramic field of vision.

This means they can see close to 360 degrees around, leaving only a small blind area directly behind themselves.

What determines the kick or strike zone of an animal?

• The size of the animal and her leg length will determine how far it can kick. Always consider the power and size of the animal when working around large animals.

How does animal behavior change when their routine is disturbed?

• Animals can be agitated when their routine is broken. They may push and shove humans or be forceful.

What could happen to a person standing in the danger zone of an animal?

• Sheep, alpaca’s, llama’s, goats, & horses are flight animals, so when they feel threatened they will run.

• Horses - may run you over or strike with their front legs and kick you.

• Horses & Alpaca’s- if you are standing around the hind quarters and they are startled, they may kick you.

• Always use extreme caution around all intact male farm animals.

• Male animals are often aggressive and can charge you suddenly and unexpectedly.

tips on working safely around livestock:

• To help avoid territorial behavior, distribute feed.

tips on working safely around livestock:

• Maintain equipment and facilities in good repair and keep things clean and in order.

tips on working safely around livestock:

recommendations to make livestock facilities safer

• Keep floors clutter free to prevent trips and falls. • High traffic areas should be roughened or

grooved. • Sloping floors promote adequate drainage. • Make fences and gates strong enough to

withstand crowded conditions. • Livestock areas should be free of sharp

projections such as broken boards, nails, or wire.

recommendations to make livestock facilities safer

• Be sure that solid-walled chutes and alleys are wide enough to allow animals to pass, but not wide enough to let them turn around.

• Provide diffuse interior lighting to reduce bright spots and shadows.

• Use restraining equipment that is designed to minimize animal movement and injuries.

• Incorporate escape routes and safety passes into livestock facilities so that workers can quickly exit when the need arises.

How to halter a sheep

Halters

• Never wrap a halter/lead around your hand– If the animal takes off you will get dragged

Slip knots

• WHY?– It's a very strong knot that is hard to untie, so the

animal cannot escape. – Because it can be tied very close to the ground. – It can be untied quickly and easily if the animal

needs to be released.

Summary

• Some farm animals can behave dangerously or create hazardous situations when they are improperly handled.

• Understanding animal behavior is one important step toward avoiding accidents.

• To further reduce the possibility of illness or injury to animal handlers, use correct handling procedures, proper sanitation, personal protective equipment, and make sure that livestock facilities are properly designed and repaired.

Scenario 1

• You notice that an animal is injured – It isn’t moving, it’s bleeding or acting very strange

• WHAT should you do?• Stay calm, notify Mrs. Melino or another

adult at the school. If you cannot reach Mrs. Melino call the vet

Scenario 2

• You need to get an animal or group of animals into their stall or a contained area

• WHAT should you do?

Scenario 3

• An animal(s) has escaped!!!!• WHAT should you do?• Try to stay calm, watch where the animal

goes, and quietly alert someone who knows the animal.

Scenario 4

• You need to move Abraham the ram or go into the stall with him to do something

• WHAT should you do?• Have another person with you who will

distract Abe with food. NEVER carry food into stall with him. You can also halter and hold/tie him. Move calmly & do not turn your back on him.

Activity

• http://www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/youthfarmsafety//