Managing Human Risk in Livestock Handling

Steve Isaacs, Laura Powers, G.T. LineberryUniversity of Kentucky

Ted ScharfNational Institute of Occupational Safety and

Health

Work Crew Performance Model• Background

– Mining – Construction – Agriculture

• WCPM designed to ID critical action-safety factors in a task

Procedures

• Task: Livestock handling• Focus Group I• Focus Group II• Expert Opinion• Validation• Delivery

Procedures

• Focus Group I– Harrison Co, KY– Experienced livestock handlers– ID and categorize tasks/activities

Procedure

• Focus Group II– Montgomery Co, KY– Experienced livestock handlers– Q-sort procedure to ID critical tasks

Procedure

• Expert Opinion– Ag Engineer– Animal Scientist– Animal Behaviorist

Procedure

• Validation– Ag Agent Survey– Binary sort– Rank top group

Procedure

• Delivery– Master Cattleman workshops– Laminated check list– Extension publications

Results

• Focus Group I– Four groups of safety-action factors– 32 total sub-tasks

Four Categories

• Environmental conditions (4 sub-tasks)

• Animal behavior (7)• Handling facilities and equipment

(8)• Safe handling techniques (13)

I. Environmental conditions

Evaluate today’s weather

Evaluate today’s surface conditions

Wear properly fitted clothing and protective footwear

Avoid handling animals during extreme hot or cold

II. Animal behavior

Understand gender and breed behavioral differences

Take advantage of your knowledge of the animal’s historical behaviors

Assess the degree of animal’s agitation and anxiety

Operate within the animal’s natural daily patterns

Increase caution around mothers with offspring

Understand and utilize the animal’s flight zone

Take advantage of the animal’s herding instinct

III. Handling facilities and equipmentLay out facilities to take advantage of animals’ natural responses

Design for appropriate capacity and expansion

Construct sturdy and durable handling facilities

Provide escape gates and barriers

Match cost and complexity to herd composition, size and location(s)

Judiciously use proper handling aids (prods, sticks, shocks)

Use proper and adequate restraining devices (chutes, ropes, halters

Organize and have available appropriate tools, medications and equipment

IV. Safe handling techniquesMatch age, experience and skill of the handler(s) to the task

Be especially cautious around animals that are handled less frequently

Minimize unwanted noise during animal handling

Use extra caution when loading, transporting and unloading animals

Plan an escape route

Dedicate appropriate number of workers to task (too many or too few)

Use a calm voice, deliberate actions and confident approach

IV. Safe handling techniques (cont.)

Don’t’ trust or take animals for granted or become complacent with routine jobs

Use proper lifting techniques

Know when to seek assistance (veterinarian, additional worker)

Alternate tasks to avoid repetitive stress/motion injuries

Take special precautions to avoid cuts and needle pricks

Minimize exposure in the “kicking zone”

Results

• Focus Group II– Q-sort of safety-action factor– Sorted into five categories based on

perception of “consequences” of failure to perform task

– Sort for routine herd health practices– Sort for emergency treatments

Important

Very Importan

t

Original Deck

Critical

Important

Critical

Very Critical

Critical Medium Level

Medium Level

Important

I. Environmental conditions

Routine

Emergency

Evaluate today’s weather 2.64 1.80

Evaluate today’s surface conditions

2.43 1.40

Wear properly fitted clothing and protective footwear

2.79 2.20

Avoid handling animals during extreme hot or cold

2.64 1.60

II. Animal behaviorRoutine Emerg

Understand gender and breed behavioral differences

2.50 3.07

Take advantage of your knowledge of the animal’s historical behaviors

3.14 3.00

Assess the degree of animal’s agitation and anxiety

3.14 3.13

Operate within the animal’s natural daily patterns

2.43 1.80

Increase caution around mothers with offspring

4.14 3.73

Understand and utilize the animal’s flight zone

3.29 2.87

Take advantage of the animal’s herding instinct

2.86 1.93

III. Handling facilities and equipment

RoutineEmer

g

Lay out facilities to take advantage of animals’ natural responses

3.29 2.07

Design for appropriate capacity and expansion

2.86 1.93

Construct sturdy and durable handling

3.71 3.47

Provide escape gates and barriers 3.43 3.27

III. Handling facilities and equipment (cont.)

Routine Emerg

Match cost and complexity to herd composition, size and location(s)

1.86 1.67

Judiciously use proper handling aids (prods, sticks, shocks)

3.00 2.53

Use proper and adequate restraining devices (chutes, ropes, halters

4.07 4.07

Organize and have available appropriate tools, medications and equipment

3.50 3.60

IV. Safe handling techniquesRoutin

eEmer

g

Match age, experience and skill of the handler(s) to the task

2.79 2.73

Be especially cautious around animals that are handled less frequently

3.07 2.73

Minimize unwanted noise during animal handling

2.85 3.27

Use extra caution when loading, transporting and unloading animals

3.29 2.33

Plan an escape route 3.71 3.67

Dedicate appropriate number of workers to task (too many or too few)

2.36 2.20

Use a calm voice, deliberate actions and confident approach

3.14 3.53

IV. Safe handling techniques Routin

eEmer

g

Don’t’ trust or take animals for granted or become complacent with routine jobs

3.50 3.73

Use proper lifting techniques 2.00 1.87

Know when to seek assistance (veterinarian, additional worker)

3.57 3.73

Alternate tasks to avoid repetitive stress/motion injuries

2.29 2.07

Take special precautions to avoid cuts and needle pricks

2.14 2.53

Minimize exposure in the “kicking zone”

3.50 3.07

• Expert Opinion– Avoid Lone animal– Never tie lead rope to self– Maintenance of latches on squeeze

chute– Rear within social groups– Increase caution around bulls– Make sure there are no sharp edges

that may cause injury

.• Expert Opinion (con’t)– Do not use, or make minimal use of

electric prods and sticks– Do not hit an animal of they do not

have a place to go– Minimize unwanted noise and visitors– Be cautious around animals that are

agitated– Try to handle cattle in groups rather

than individually

• Validation– County Extension Ag agents– Binary sort – Ordinal sort of binary results

Most critical safety-action factors

Environmental conditions1. Avoid handling animals during extreme

hot and humid or cold weather2. Wear properly fitting clothing and

protective footwear

Animal behavior1. Increase caution around mothers with

offspring, and bulls2. Understand and utilize the animal’s flight

zone

Avoid lone animals

Caution around mothers w/ offspring

Use animal’s flight zone

Most critical safety-action factors (cont.)

Handling facilities and equipment1. Construct sturdy and durable

handling facilities2. Lay out facilities to take advantage

of animals’ natural responses (and behavior)

3. Use proper and adequate restraining devices (chutes, ropes, head gates)

Sturdy, well-designed facilities

Most critical safety-action factors (cont.)

Safe handling techniques1. Be especially cautious around

animals that are handled less frequently or are agitated

2. Don’t trust or take animals for granted or become complacent with routine jobs

3. Match age, experience and skill of the handler(s) to the task

Farmer vs Agent Responses

I. Environmental conditions– Similar responses

II. Animal behavior– Similar except for understanding and

using animals’ flight zone. Becomes less critical in the emergency situation for farmers

Farmer vs Agent Responses (cont.)

III. Handling facilities and equipment– Agents consider layout of facilities

given animals’ natural responses more critical

– Having available appropriate tools, meds, equipment more critical in emergency situation for farmers

Farmer vs Agent Responses (cont.)

IV. Safe handling techniques – Match age, experience of handler(s) to

the task more critical to agents than to farmers

– Being cautious around animals handled less frequently: ranked #1 for agents, #7 for farmers

– Know when to seek assistance more critical to farmers than agents

– Similar: Don’t trust or take animals for granted

Extension delivery• Master Cattleman workshops

– Fifteen, 10-session workshops

• Laminated “working chute” checklist

• Extension publications videos

Extension delivery

• To consider the consequences of unsafe livestock handling actions

Managing Human Risk in Livestock Handling

The researchers in this project gratefully acknowledge the financial and technical support of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the farm families of Harrison and Montgomery counties for their observations, insight, and experiences