A few thoughts on workplace safety

In an industry known for its workplace hazards, such as the management and manipulation of animals that could bite, kick or cause considerable damage simply because of their size, combined with long working hours, lifting of heavy loads and the general mental stress, it is perhaps surprising that the veterinary industry is not also known for its safety culture and structures. One would expect that where such hazards and risks have been identified, there would be many and varied levels of education on risk and hazard management, a comprehensive set of tools with which to mitigate these risks as well as discussion and debriefing of significant adverse events to ensure they do not occur again. One would also assume that there would be a strong sense of safety culture in the workplace and that personnel would expect each other to ensure that the health and safety of themselves and their colleagues was a number one priority. Yet, is this the case in the veterinary industry? A request was made by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA) to provide ‘safety guidelines’ for use in general practice, particularly pertaining to pregnancy. The AVA set up a task force to address these concerns and to determine if guidelines could be created. This article is offered as a starting point for considering safety in the veterinary industry in a broad sense, with the hope that in the future there may be development of such guidelines. It is hoped that this article also provides the stimulus for further research in this area.