The purpose of this web site is to provide teachers and their students with information about a range of important topics that will help improve their knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety issues. Using the information on each topic will assist in identifying hazards and risks to health and safety confronting workers in the agriculture and horticulture industry.

Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Legislation places the prime responsibility for making the workplace safe on employers. Workers also have responsibilities that include protecting their own safety and that of others, and assisting the employer to make the workplace safe.

The following presentation will provide you with an overview of the issues pertaining to animal, plant and other occupational health and safety issues and what protocols / strategies can be implemented to reduce the risks to humans.

Disease Transmission
As a result of the interaction between humans and animals many biomedical researchers are suggesting that the "era of emergence" of zoonotic diseases is just beginning.

With today's shift towards globalization and the frequent rapid movement of livestock through international trade, the spread of zoonotic diseases is on the rise. Along with this factor is increasing urbanization on a worlwide scale, and this is putting populations at risk.

One only has to step back into history to see the devestation wrought on human populations by zoonotic diseases such as the Bubonic Plague of the fourteenth century.It is estimated that 75 % of new or re-emerging diseases originate from animals.

Diseases such as Typhoid are on the rise worldwide. Humans can be exposed to diseases such as Tetanus, Leptospirosis, Q fever and Ringworm (to name a few) through direct contact with animals but can also be affected by consuming contaminated food products. In the United States one in four Americans contract food borne illnesses each year, resulting in five thousand deaths annually.

One only has to remember the Nippys' Orange Juice contamination case
(Salmonella) and the Garibaldi Mettwurst case ( E.coli) which occured recently in Australia. It is estimated that at least 1.5 million Australians suffer from food related illness each year, many of which are not reported.

Food-borne illness (food poisoning) is mainly caused by harmful bacteria, viruses and chemical toxins in food or water (either naturally occuring or introduced). Some of these microbes infect our bodies and grow, while others produce a toxin in food. The end result is illness, and in very severe cases food poisoning may cause death.

Cases of food poisoning can occur with a wide range of foods whether it is manufactured, prepared at home, or purchased at the local supermarket, take-away or restaurant. The risk of food poisoning can be virtually eliminated if the food is properly handled, protected from contamination, stored correctly and cooked or reheated to the correct temperature.

The most commonly reported food-borne diseases in South Australia are caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, followed by Salmonella.

For more information about Food Safety and Labelling ,
click here

Since September 11, the threat to the world of agri and bioterrorism has become real. Eighty percent of the diseases that could be used against us (including Anthrax) are zoonotic in nature.

With recent outbreaks overseas of Mad Cow Disease and Foot and Mouth Disease, and the subsequent social and economical implications , there is a need to introduce stringent biosecurity protocols in order to safeguard plant, animal and human health.

There are four main sections to present.

OHS checklists
This section will provide information in the form of checklists for teachers and students to use to assess a range of animal and plant enterprises on the school farm. The enterprise checklists should be completed in conjunction with the DETE Occupational Health and Safety checklist.
In addition to this, schools should adhere to the standards set out in the Model Codes of practice for farm animals, which have been endorsed by the Australain Agriculture Council (AAC). The Model Codes of practice are available from the CSIRO or by visiting their web site.
For more information, click here...

Zoonoses
This section will provide information on the impact of zoontic diseases on human health. It concentrates on some of the more important zoonotic diseases affecting rural workers in Australia. It also suggests protocols for implementation on school farms to reduce zoonotic disease risks to humans.

Biosecurity
This section will provide information on farm biosecurity in order to reduce the incidence and spread of plant and animal diseases in Australia.

Resources and acknowledgements
This section will include all relevant acknowledgements of the materials used to gather information, and will list useful resource sites and sources of information on these topics.