Livestock safety

Handling cattle and working with livestock represent major risk factors in farming, with 8 out of 33 UK farm fatalities during 2017-18 linked to cattle.

The aim of this study was to investigate farmer, and farm safety advisor, perception of livestock risk.  The online vignette study presented participants with 8 scenarios where worker performance was compromised, there were animal based risks, equipment was faulty and the environment was potentially risky.

The results suggest that a range of non-technical skills are utilised to deal with livestock risks, such as communication and teamwork.  Farmers generally perceived animal based risks as ‘no-go’ scenarios, but were more prepared to continue when the scenarios depicted compromised performance (e.g. fatigue) or environmental factors (e.g. slippery floor).

This research has now been published in the Journal of Agromedicine.