Page 345 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

13.5 Establishing Safety Policies, Protocols, and Work Rules 317

An example of what might be included in
VetBooks.ir 13.5.2 Safety Procedures safety rules are outlined below:
Safety procedures cover specific activities
where there might be risk to staff, animals or 1) Report to work alert, rested, and in good
visitors, with the intention of ensuring, if fol- physical condition.
lowed, a safe working environment. These 2) PPE (such as safety glasses, face masks,
procedures outline the steps to be taken to protective clothing, and footwear) must
implement a policy. Some procedures are be worn when required for specific job
specific to a job or task whilst others are tasks or work areas.
general descriptions of how to implement a 3) All accidents, incidents, and injuries,
policy. Procedures exist for most aspects of regardless of how minor, shall be reported
a job whether they are formalised and writ- immediately to the supervisor in charge.
ten down or not. To be effective it is ideal 4) All work is to be performed in a safe
that safety procedures are communicated in manner according to our written policies
writing and verbalised, as well as providing a and procedures. If you have a concern
demonstration. All of this should emphasise about the safety of a task, bring it to the
common safety procedures, related to train- attention of your immediate supervisor.
ing and may include, how to report a hazard 5) Understand your work assignments and
or safety concern; basic safety rules; required perform only the job functions in which
PPE; emergency plans; and step‐by‐step you are fully trained. Discuss any unfa-
examples of how to safely complete specific miliar work assignments with your
work tasks. For example, procedures when supervisor prior to beginning the task.
shifting/securing and training dangerous 6) Horseplay or practical jokes are
animals which should cover issues of ani- prohibited.
mal contact/non‐contact rules, delivery of 7) Use or being under the influence of,
food, e.g. use of tongs, feed chutes, no hand‐ intoxicants or drugs whilst on the job is
feeding, safety backup staff /‘two‐person’ prohibited and shall be considered cause
requirements, chemical defence spray use for dismissal.
and emergency communications, e.g. pos- 8) Always use the proper tool, equipment,
sess walkie‐talkies, mobile phones. or process for the job.
9) All employees shall correct an unsafe
condition or practice to the extent of
13.5.3 Safety Rules their authority and/or report the hazard
to their supervisor.
Safety rules list the specific activities of what 10) Ignoring safe work practices, policies,
to do, or avoid in order to complete the job procedures, rules, or other safety
effectively and safely. Essentially, no single list instruction is cause for disciplinary
of safety rules is adequate for all zoos or activi- action up to and including termination
ties and it is important to develop your own of employment.
list of safety rules based upon standard indus-
try practices and your own accident experi- Developing and implementing safety poli-
ence, not based solely on generic lists or cies, procedures and rules set the foundation
examples from other zoo employers. It is key for keeping employees safe. These docu-
that all rules are communicated clearly to ments and their communication underscore
management and staff alike and rules should the philosophy, actions, and detail necessary
be strictly and consistently enforced. If written to protect both the employee and the organi-
safety rules are not consistently and equitably sation. They must be considered living docu-
enforced, the zoo’s actual practices outside the ments that should be revisited regularly and
written rules may create a legal liability if chal- revised when necessary. Training potentially
lenged in a legal or regulatory dispute. dangerous animals presents unique hazards