Making the mart and farming environment a safer place

As part of its on-going initiative to promote health and safety in the livestock market and wider farming environment, the Livestock Auctioneer's Association (LAA) has launched MartSafe 3.0, the third year of curriculum for its in-person training programme for livestock market staff.  

LAA's newest edition of the programme addresses the key requirements and responsibilities within livestock markets, providing specialist advice, training and information for market staff through engaging and interactive exercises, practical tasks and videos, all delivered in-person by an LAA trainer.  

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Within the curriculum, recaps of core topics from previous years are incorporated, along with new content, all of which is based around the four key pillars of animal behaviour, safe handling, people behaviour and animal welfare. In particular this year, mental health has become a concern of the association. 

"This year, we are pleased to be working with the DPJ Foundation to include a specialist training unit based around mental health and suicide awareness for market staff, recognising the growing industry crisis and important role market staff play in engaging with and supporting our farming communities," said Zanna Dennis, LAA development officer. 

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Updated every 12 months, MartSafe has become an effective annual tool for LAA members and supports markets in their creation of safe environments for staff, customers and livestock alike. It also aligns closely with the key messaging of this year's Farm Safety Week, which we now find ourselves in (22nd-26th of July), as the campaign highlights some of the key challenges farm staff face daily, as well as throwing spotlight on the dangers of losing concentration in the workplace and ignoring near misses. 

"Market staff are essential to the smooth operation of the livestock auction market. They have a key role in ensuring that the highest standards of animal health and welfare are met at all times, and equally the health and safety of all staff, users and visitors of the livestock market," Chris Dodds, LAA executive secretary told Farmers Guardian, and this is precisely why programmes such of these are key. 

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