The health and safety of workers in a confined animal system

Workers in confined animal systems are exposed to a number of potential risks and health hazards. Most stockmen work alone, handling large groups of animals and devoting only a limited amount of time to the care of each individual animal. Several work tasks involve daily lifting, carrying of heavy loads and awkward working postures which may contribute to overload injuries on the musculoskeletal system. More and more expensive and complicated technical devices an utilized in an environment where airborne particles, gases, noise, material defects, the animal itself, and other potential risk factors can contribute to accidents, break downs in the control systems as well as to physical health problems and psychological stress for the worker. The emphasis in this chapter will be on a discussion of methods of reducing the number of accidents, and strenuous work postures as well as controlling physical and chemical factors that may have a hazardous health effect on workers in confined animal systems. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.