Safety Policies

Air Compressors

How to work safely with air compressors which may be present to power dental or surgical equipment, including the key ways to avoid issues and pre-start steps to take to remain safe.

Alpacas

Covers how to interpret alpaca body language which may indicate they are uneasy and therefore less safe to handle, how to handle a single alpaca and other precautions to take to make the experience safer.

Anaesthetic Gases

How to safely handle and use veterinary anaesthetic gases, how to ensure your animal anaesthetic is the safest it can be for all staff and what to do if there is an anaesthetic gas spill.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Information about this emerging concern for veterinary team members, and how to understand the hazard and how to best keep yourself safe when working in situations where an antimicrobial resistent ‘bug’ may be present. Links to important resources and additional training.

Autoclave

Simple steps to keep safe from steam burns when using the autoclave, how to handle hot items and have the autoclave working safely, what is not safe to put in the autoclave?

Bats

What’s so important about bats? How can they pose a health and safety risk to us? Can all staff handle them and what does the legislation say?

Birds

What are the ways to handle different size and shape birds safely? What are the potential health risks when working with birds? How do we safely look after birds in hospital?

Bullying

What is bullying? Why is bullying a safety issue? When is having a joke with someone not funny? What to do if are worried about bullying

Bushfires

Many clinics in Australia are in bushfire-prone areas- this policy covers how to prepare the clinic, what to do on a high-risk day to keep staff and animals safe and what to do if there is a bushfire near the clinic

Captive Bolt

How to prepare yourself, the equipment and the patient for safe captive bolt use. Whilst not requiring licensing, this equipment has the capability to cause harm and special care steps are covered in this document.

Cats

What is special about cat behaviour and how do they tell us they are not happy? How do we handle them safely and respectfully? What can the owner do to help? What to do in the event of a cat bite (including a handout to take to your treating doctor)

Cattle

How does cattle behaviour inform us on the best ways to handle them safely? What is a flight zone or pressure zone and how can we use this to our advantage? What are the dos and don’ts about working with cattle and remaining safe?

Children

How can children pose a safety risk at the clinic? Can we tell the parents to get them under control? What areas are safe for children to be in and which are a definite no-no? What about children on farms? Or children of staff members?

Clinical Waste

What goes in what bin? What bins do we need? Where do used swabs go? Where do syringes with blood go? What about deceased wildlife?

Compressed Gases

What compressed gases do we use, how to handle veterinary compressed gases safely, how to store them safely and prevent an explosion.

Computed Tomography (CT)

What does the Australian Nuclear Protection and Radiation Safety Agency (ARPANSA) say about computed tomography and keeping staff safe? What is important to do and why?

Contractors

How to induct contractors quickly and easily and ensure they remain safe on site? How to let them know about hazards that exist such as animals, radiation, chemicals, zoonotic diseases, in a succinct and thorough way so that they can get on with their job?

Cytotoxic Drugs

Which veterinary cytotoxic drugs do we use, how should we store, handle and dispense cytotoxic drugs safely, what waste bin to use, other legislated obligations e.g. cyclophosphamide in NSW.

Dentistry – Horses

What are the risks and what can go wrong? What equipment do you need to remain safe? How should the horse’s head be restrained to allow you to work safely?

Dentistry – Small Animal

What are the risks and what can go wrong? Is eye protection really necessary? How to minimise the risk of a sore back after a long dental and more…

Difficult Clients

We can’t avoid the bad ones, so how do we deal with them? The common complaints from clients, how to deal with tricky clients, what to do if they become aggressive or violent, when might a client may get ‘fired’ (and how to do it).

Discrimination

What is considered discrimination and what are the ‘protected attributes’? What legislation do we need to adhere to and how? What is considered discrimination and are we doing it without realising it? What if I witness discrimination, what should I do?

Dogs

What is the best way handle dogs safely? Includes what PPE to use and when, how to best interpret dog behaviour to remain safe around them and what can happen when things go wrong?

Driving

Do your staff use vehicles to attend to farm or home visits, or do the banking? What safety features should the vehicle have, and what to look for when purchasing a new one to maximise driver safety? What safety equipment should you put in the work vehicles? What about long trips or if an accident happens?

Drugs + Alcohol

What are some of the drugs that may be used or abused (including vet prescription drugs and S8s)?, why might this happen and what we can do about it; education for everyone on what drug and alcohol misuse or abuse might mean for team safety and what to do if this is occurring

Electricity

How to manage electrical safety in the veterinary setting; the relevant high risk situations; and how to work safely with electricity and animals, including on farms.

Electrocautery

How do we work safely with electrocautery during surgery? What can go wrong? What about the smoke they generate, is it safe?

Electrosurgery

How do we work safely with electrical currents during surgery? Includes correct set up and situations to avoid, as well as tips on keeping safe from the smoke generated.

Ethylene Oxide

If you use ethylene oxide to sterilise surgical equipment, what special safety measures need to be taken? What happens if something goes wrong? How do we protect ourselves against exposure to ethylene oxide?

Evacuation & Emergency

What to do in an emergency? How do we care for the animals during an evacuation? Who’s in charge during a veterinary emergency or evacuation? What might necessitate an evacuation?

Fatigue

What is fatigue, and is it the same as feeling tired? How does it link to burnout? What can employers do to reduce the risk of fatigue and burnout and what can staff do to help themselves?

Fire

What can cause a fire in a vet clinic? What equipment do we need and how do we maintain it? How do we get animals, clients and staff out safely in the event of a fire?

Firearms

Do your staff need to access a firearm or captive bolt to humanely euthanise an animal? In addition to the appropriate license, what training do you need to give them? What if clients are present?

First Aid

Are vet clinics considered by safety legislation as ‘high’ or ‘low’ risk workplaces and what does that mean? How to appropriately provide the required first aid equipment and first aid-trained staff for a vet business? What is required? What about first aid training?

Fluoroscopy

Covers the important aspects of radiation safety that apply to fluorscopic procedures, particularly staff actions to take prior to the procedure starting and how to minimise the radiation used for the procedure.

Grooming

How to handle wet and slippery patients without risking a musculoskeletal disease (MSD) injury? What about hot air blowers and dryers – what can go wrong?

Horses

What areas or situations are most dangerous when working with horses and how do we remain in control of safety? How to examine horses with safety in mind as well as move them around the clinic? What facilities are needed to maximise staff safety?

Housekeeping

Advice on ways to minimize slips, trips and falls in veterinary workplaces, what hazards are often present, what can we do about them.

Hydrobaths

How to handle wet and slippery patients without risking a musculoskeletal disease (MSD) injury, how to mix water and electricity safely, how to keep clients safe if they use a hydrobath at your clinic

Laboratory

How to work safely in the veterinary lab, safe microscope and centrifuge use, how to handle dangerous chemicals like formalin safety, what to wear?

Laser

What are the risks of using lasers and how can we work better, in order to keep everyone safe? What to wear when using a laser, what does the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) say?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Coming soon…

Manual Handling

How to work safely with common veterinary manual handling challenges such moving animals, working with large animals, and unpredictable patients. Suggested lifting limits and how to reduce the risk of veterinary industry musculoskeletal disease (MSD).

Office Work

What about desk and computer related work- what can go wrong and how can we remain safe if our roles involve this sort of work? How to maximise comfort and reduce the risk of injury in the office environment including lighting, desk, chair and phone set-up procedures formed with safety in mind

Pigs

What is the best way to work with (not against) the natural behaviour of pigs and remain safe? What are some of the more dangerous situations; and way to reduce risk in those moments? What zoonotic diseases might be relevant when working with pigs?

Radioactive Iodine (I-131)

Coming soon…

Radiology

How to work safely with veterinary radiation, including who is allowed to be present (clients? teenagers? pregnant staff?), how to maximise radiation safety protection, how to check your radiation protection clothing is working

Scintigraphy

For those that undertake this specialised imaging technique, details are provided about the potential radiation exposure risk and how to adapt procedures and techniques to maximise safety, including what to do in the event of a ‘spill’.

Security

How to keep a vet clinic safe from burglary, how to protect valuable veterinary assets like S8 drugs, money and staff, how to work safely when working sole charge.

Sexual Harassment

What is sexual harassment? Why is it a safety risk? In a largely female workforce- how does this impact our behaviours and what is not acceptable? Get up to speed so you don’t get it wrong

Sharps

What veterinary items are considered ‘sharps’, how to behave safely with veterinary sharps, what not to do, how to stop sharps ending up in the wash or left on surgery kit trays, what is the law with disposal? Developed using research on veterinary clinic sharps handling behaviours and injury data.

Sheep

How to safely with sheep either in a group or on their own; what zoonotic diseases are relevant and how to protect staff from them: what are the best handling techniques to use working with sheep, taking their behaviour and size into consideration?

Staff Functions

What are the expected behaviours when staff have work functions, and how do they link to safety legislation? Includes responsible alcohol guidelines and information on how to get everyone home safely.

Veterinary Chemicals

What hazards exist with the veterinary chemicals we work with? Where does safety information exist for veterinary chemicals? What do we wear when handling them? Which ones are potentially dangerous? Do we need a register of chemicals?

Veterinary Drugs

What veterinary drugs can be the most harmful to our health and why? Hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, S8’s- which ones may be an issue? How are we best to handle them as well as their empty containers? What do we need to tell clients?

Working After Hours

What steps do we need to take to keep staff safe after hours? What should we do when we enter the clinic and what can we do if we feel unsafe? How can the employer improve facilities to make them safer at night?

Working From Home

Sometimes, staff undertake some duties from home. This presents unique hazards that need to be specially managed. Lighting, ergonomics, security, sedentary work and overworking are all addressed in this document, and more.

Working Offsite

What should you do prior to leaving the clinic to ensure you remain safe? What to pack and plan prior to leaving? Why is staff safety less controlled when we work off site and what can we do about it?

Working Outside

How to protect staff against workplace hazards when they are outside? How does the weather effect our ability to work safely and what can we do about specific situations? Why is sun protection a legislated requirement for businesses in Australia and what are our obligations?

Working When Pregnant

Everything you need to know about working in the veterinary industry whilst trying to conceive, being pregnant or breastfeeding. Includes advice for lifting, anaesthetic gases, radiation, zoonotic disease, long work hours, working on your feet and more

Workplace Stress

What contributes to veterinary workplace stress, how can we reduce it, what does veterinary stress look and feel like?

Young Workers

Why are young workers more prone to safety incidents and what can we do to protect them whilst they are with us? How to induct a work experience student on day one without overwhelming them? How to ensure they remain safe in a workplace with very unique hazards?

Zoonotic Diseases

What are veterinary zoonotic diseases of concern for vet staff? Which ones may be present in our working days? How to protect ourselves from contracting an illness from the animals we work with.