Rank: Forum user 
|
A recent article in the IOSH magazine cought my attention regarding an HSE 'blitz (?)' on livestock hazards. The article suggests inspectors will be checking, amongst other things, that "a rigorous culling policy is in place for temperamental animals". I do not work in farming so don't need to concern myself directly with this but it did arouse my curiosity, I wonder where the line is drawn regarding the temperament of an animal? One suspects, given the values involved, it is tempting to take a different approach to prize bulls than, say, chickens (although perhaps one doesn't have much to fear from even the most delinquent hen)? Anyone in farming care to enlighten me how the need for such culling is assessed and managed? Edited by user 25 April 2019 08:22:01(UTC)
| Reason: spelling
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Animals are actually quite dangerous and they are a workplace hazard that people (especially townies like me forget). I once worked for an agency linked to Defra and we had a number of animal encounters. One statistic stands out: roughly one person each year is killed by cattle. I was giving an induction to some people who had been hired to do a wildlife survey and I jokingly mentioned the danger posed by bulls on farms. I was put straight by one the guys who had worked as a stockman, who had been serious injured by some cattle: no laughing matter. Sheep can injury people and dogs are problem especially to visitors to places where the dogs are allowed to roam free. There are issues with some of our wildlife- you will be surprised at the number of wild boar roaming the woods in some areas. Finally, bees do not like it if you operate a ride on lawnmower next to their hives.
|
 2 users thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
Its a jungle out there! I was attacked by a swan when in my kayak and once a weasel got in our tent and raised hell! But the question remains, how does the farmer judge which animals are temperamental enough to require culling and what would the HSE's expectations on this be?
|
1 user thanked ttxela for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
https://www.ioshmagazine.com/article/hse-targets-livestock-hazards I have just looked at the article in question and the HSE pages in question - http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/livestock.htm and this mentions a “a rigorous culling policy for temperamental animals” and the guidance states that “If you have an animal that is habitually aggressive or difficult to handle, consider whether you should cull it from the herd. If this is not an option, you should ensure your equipment and systems of work are capable of dealing with it, and that staff, and other people such as vets, are aware of the potential difficulties.” Based on this I would suggest that culling is a control that farmer’s should consider based on their risk assessment. As far as I am able to ascertain HSE do not have the power to order an animal’s destruction. The only time that Defra can order the destruction of cattle is if they are infected with a certain disease (such as TB or BSE) not because of their temperament. If a bull or cow goes on the “rampage” then they can shoot it, in self-defence I suppose. The same applies to people though!
|
1 user thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel  If a bull or cow goes on the ârampageâ then they can shoot it, in self-defence I suppose. The same applies to people though!
I wish!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
It seems that bad temperament can be heritable. Witness the three generations of swan known as Mr Asbo, Asboy and the grandson Asbaby on the River Cam. Mr Asbo and Asboy had to be removed to a secret location after a series of attacks on people.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
The temperament of the animal can also be affected by things like mating seasons - deer herds have to be culled every year before the rutting season starts, especially if they could come into contact with people (I guess somewhere like Woburn Abbey, or even Magdalen College in Oxford would come under that).
In a previous job our staff car park was adjacent to a fishing lake which was home to some swans and occassionally one of them would end up - sometimes injured - in our car park. If that happened, someone, (for some reason the H&S Manager!) would have to stand out in the car park waiting for the RSPCA to turn up and remove the swan safely for treatment...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.