Guideline review date: November 2016
The
CARA planner (DOC, 423KB) must be used in conjunction with this guideline to determine additional risk hazards and controls within school-specific circumstances.
Activity scope
This guideline relates to student observation and handling of animals and animal remains such as bones or skins in non-laboratory or non-clinical settings as a curriculum activity. This includes, but is not limited to, care of classroom pets, livestock husbandry activities, collecting of frog spawn, and observation of animals in their natural surroundings or of exhibited animals.
Low risk: Activities with no contact or minimal contact with animals where the threat of injury, bites, stings or scratches being inflicted is minimal (e.g. observation of animals in their natural surroundings, in zoos or registered wildlife parks); low impact care and handling of classroom pets and small domesticated animals; and handling of exhibited animals under supervision.
Medium risk: Routine non-invasive husbandry procedures with low impact on the animal concerned (e.g. grooming, cleaning of cages, non-invasive measurement of body weight); working in environments with medium risk of transmission of zoonoses (e.g. dusty cattle yards); and handling of animals where injury requiring minor first aid treatment is likely.
High risk: Moderate to high impact husbandry procedures requiring animal restraint and which may cause stress to animals (e.g. administering topical livestock treatments, mustering, cane toad collection); and procedures with high risk of transmission of zoonoses or where injury requiring medical treatment is possible (e.g. collection of venomous arachnids).