The aim is to create a guide outlining safe design principles to be included in cattle crates
The Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) invites feedback and suggestions from industry members on ways to improve efficiency and work safety in cattle transport.
The WHSQ says it is currently working with cattle crate transporters, crate manufacturers and graziers to make loading, unloading and cross loading of cattle safer across the state.
The move comes in response to an industry request for WHSQ to review cattle crate design and practices after a fatal accident where a transport operator died while cross loading cattle at Gracemere.
The review is looking at common safety hazards such as work at height, slips and falls, manual tasks, entrapment and danger of being crushed by cattle.
The review also includes background work including site visits, meeting with manufacturers and transport operators.
The WHSQ aims to publish a guide outlining safe design principles to be included in cattle crates so as to reduce the risk of common safety hazards.
It has organised four industry forums in the coming months to discuss safety and implementation issues with the industry.
Sessions will be held around Queensland:
- Rockhampton: Monday, April 18 from 9-11am
- Townsville: Tuesday, April 19 from 1-3pm
- Toowoomba: Tuesday, April 26 from 10am-noon
- Longreach: Saturday, May 21 (during the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland Annual Conference).