Health and Safety – Working in Woolsheds

Workers in woolsheds are exposed to injury risks associated with a variety of hazards, some specific to woolsheds, others common to agriculture.

Hazards associated with sheep and wool production include the following:

• Mechanical hazards – machinery associated with shearing, pressing, manual handling wool bales, vehicles transporting people and produce and hand-tools
• Biological hazards – infections and infectious diseases e.g. leptospirosis, Q fever, orf, scabby mouth
• Chemicals – dips, drenches, blowfly and foot rot treatments
• Dust and fumes
• UV and solar radiation
• Electricity
• Noise – causing hearing loss and tinnitus
• Stress and fatigue

This guide outlines how to identify and fix safety problems, hazard risk and risk control measures, ensuring a safe woolshed environment, machinery safety, work practices, sheep, fitness for work and more.

Includes a handy sample shearing shed hazard checklist.