Horse racing industry

Hazards and Solutions

1. Hazard 1 Disease

   • Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures to ensure good hygiene (eg hand-washing, disposal of waste).
   • Ensure good ventilation.
   • Consider immunisation where appropriate.
2. Hazard 2 Handling horses

   • Ensure safe distances are maintained from other horses when riding or leading horses.
   • Provide appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing for employees to wear while in vicinity of horses (eg high visibility safety vest, leather or steel capped boots).
   • Provide appropriate helmets (eg with nylon interlocking chin straps to secure helmet) that are approved by the Australian Racing Board and ensure they are well-maintained, less than five years old (date of manufacture should be clearly labelled) and discarded if they sustain a severe impact.
   • Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures to ensure rider safety (eg every rider, when mounted, should wear a properly fastened safety vest that is Australian Racing Board approved. Riders must not smoke or use phones or other electronic devices whilst mounted on a horse).
   • Ensure tack is maintained in good condition (eg rein grips, bridles, girths maintained).
   • Ensure horses are properly bridled and saddled when ridden. While being led outside stable premises, horses should be bridled where possible, with the bit attached to a lead for leading.
3. Hazard 3 Lifting and handling materials

   • Provide appropriate equipment (eg height adjustable work platforms or stands, wheelbarrows, trolleys) and ensure they are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
   • Train employees in the selection and use of any mechanical equipment and aids and safe handling methods (eg work is done between shoulder and mid-thigh height and with the elbows close to the body).
   • Arrange for stock to be delivered to storage areas, where possible.
   • Order stock in smaller sizes (eg bags of 20kg instead of 40kg).
   • Ensure the weight of feed bags, bales and buckets that are manually lifted are below 20kg.
4. Hazard 4 Other

   • Provide health and safety education such as stable induction to workers.
   • Highlight chemical / electrical safety.
   • Guarding is provided to in running nip point on hoppers, mixers, chaff cutters, augers, and exposed belt drives.
   • Emergency stops are accessible to operator on treadmills and walkers etc.
   • Swimming pools are maintained and safety equipment is in place. Use should be monitored.
5. Hazard 5 Reporting and training

   • Establish and maintain a register of injuries.
   • Encourage employees to report workplace injuries / accidents / illnesses.
6. Hazard 6 Slips trips and falls

   • Ensure indoor floor surfaces in work areas and walkways are level, non-slip or slip-resistant and kept dry and clear of clutter and obstructions.
   • Regularly tidy and remove clutter so it does not accumulate (eg hoses rolled up, tacks neatly put away).
   • Ensure efficient drainage of indoor / outdoor ground surfaces.
   • Ensure float and ramps are clean with non-slip foot grips.
   • Ensure appropriate lighting in work and stable areas.
   • Conduct regular workplace inspections and report / remove any identified slip, trip and fall hazards.
   • Ensure employees wear appropriate footwear (eg non-slip).
7. Hazard 7 Track riding conditions / environment

   • Develop strict track-work policies and procedures (eg wearing of safety gear, track-work times, codes of conduct, consideration of weather conditions, injuries etc).
   • Provide a track induction for riders / trainers.
   • Provide safety warning lights and ensure they are affixed to helmets when horses are ridden in the dark.
   • Ensure training occurs in daylight or if in pre-dawn hours, track supervisors are able to clearly observe horses / riders on track.
   • Establish consultation / issue resolution procedures for track safety issues that include jockeys, trainers, race course management and stewards.
   • Provide adequate lighting for float parks and stripping shed areas.
   • Corner poles and fence posts on track should be padded.
   • Ensure all training track sessions are supervised to ensure safety measure compliance (eg safety gear / tack quality / condition checks).