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Assess the safety of your cattle yard gates and latches
Unsafe
- Gates are heavy and difficult to move.
- Gates drag on the ground.
- Latches are hard to use.
- Latches do not catch or can’t be effectively secured shut.
- Latches that release when kicked or struck.
- Sharp edges, protruding catches, bolts or wire.
- Gates positioned in areas where people can get stuck between gate and rails
Basic safety
- Gates are checked before working in yards to make sure they swing easily.
- Gates have space to swing above the ground.
- Latches can be opened and closed easily.
- Latches catch and close securely.
- Latches remain securely closed when kicked or struck.
- Smooth edges, no protruding catches, bolts or wire.
- Escape routes and man gates built into yards.
Best practice
- Gates and hinges are regularly checked and maintained.
- Gate posts are strengthened with ties to reduce gate dropping.
- Self-latching gates.
- Chains are used as a secondary locking mechanism for self-latching gates.
- Remote controlled air gates.
- No other distractions such as fabric, pieces of hose attached to gates.
- Sliding gates operated from outside the yard.
Improve the safety of your cattle yard gates and latches
Choose latches that are secure and easy to use
- Slide bolts
Slide bolts come in many varieties including slanted and straight.
- Chain
Chain with additional welded on latch on the gate to be able to easily move chain, but still locks in place.
- Slam Shut gate
Slam shut gates come in many varieties. They work well where posts are unlikely to move. They shut when you push the gate to the point of the latch, without moving the bolt.
- Horizontal Sliding Gate
This horizontal sliding gate has an lever to be able to pull the gate across without needing to lean across the race.
- Round gate with locking mechanisms
This is a self-made round gate that has bar that digs into the ground that prevents cattle from pushing back on the gate. See the gates and latches video for more information.
Think about the position of your gates
You can be seriously injured if you are standing behind a gate that gets kicked by a cow.
When drafting cattle, avoid being in with the cattle. If this is not possible with your current yard design, ensure there are accessible escape gates or pre-identified escape routes that don't require climbing over or under fences.
Talk to the people who use your yards
People who work in many different yards are a great resource. Having safety conversations with the different people who use your yard can help you identify hazards and solutions.
If you are an employer you also have a duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) to consult with your employees and contractors about health and safety. You can do this by making safety conversations a normal part of how you work.
Your responsibilities under the law
As a farmer you may be self-employed, employ people, or manage and control a farm. Regardless, you have duties under the OHS Act which can include ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable:
- you provide a farm that is a safe working environment without risks to the health of your employees and contractors
- your farm activities don't expose persons other than employees, for example family, or visitors, to health and safety risks
- that people, including people making deliveries on the farm, can enter and leave the farm safely, and without risk to their health
- you consult with your employees and contractors about health and safety on your farm