Working Safely with Animals
Working Safely with Animals
Understanding Animal Behavior
- Acting calmly and quietly around animals to avoid causing distress or making them agitated.
- Observing the animal in order to understand its behaviour, which will help to anticipate potential risks.
- Avoiding direct eye contact with animals, as they might interpret this as a threat.
- Recognising animal warning signs, like growls, hisses, bared teeth, and laid-back ears.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Wearing appropriate PPE at all times, tailored to specific animal handling tasks.
- Maintaining each piece of PPE, replacing any that are worn out.
- Suitable PPE might include coveralls, gloves, masks, boots, eye protection, and, in some cases, ear protection.
Safe Handling
- Applying appropriate restraint methods to prevent animals from escaping or causing injury. These methods should not harm the animal, and must comply with animal welfare legislation.
- Practising good hand hygiene by washing hands before and after handling animals, and avoiding touching your face in the meantime.
- Not consuming food or drink in animal handling areas to prevent ingestion of pathogens.
General Safety Measures
- Keeping work areas clean and hazard-free, removing any droppings, waste, tools, or other tripping hazards.
- Carrying out regular risk assessments and updating them whenever something changes.
- Getting vaccinations for any potentially transmissible diseases that an animal may carry, such as tetanus, rabies, or tuberculosis.
Emergency Procedures
- Knowing what to do in an emergency, including evacuation routes and where to assemble.
- Having access to a first aid kit and knowing how to use it.
- Being aware of who to contact in case of an emergency involving an animal or a coworker.