Abstract
Simple SummaryAttempts to reduce horse-related injuries and fatalities to humans have mostly focused on personal protective equipment like helmets. In organizational contexts, such technical interventions are considered secondary to reducing the frequency and severity of accidents. In this article, we describe the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) framework that has been associated with reduced risks in industries and organisations. We consider how such a framework could be used to reduce horse-related risks in workplaces, as well as non-work equestrian competition and leisure environments. In this article, we propose that the simplicity and concepts of the WHS framework can provide risk mitigation benefits to both work and non-work equine identities.It has been suggested that one in five riders will be injured due to a fall from a horse, resulting in severe head or torso injuries. Attempts to reduce injury have primarily focussed on low level risk controls, such as helmets. In comparison, risk mitigation in high risk workplaces and sports is directed at more effective and preventative controls like training, consultation, safe work procedures, fit for purpose equipment and regular Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) monitoring. However, there has been no systematic consideration of the risk-reduction benefits of applying a WHS framework to reducing horse-related risks in workplaces, let alone competition or leisure contexts. In this article, we discuss the different dimensions of risk during human–horse interaction: the risk itself, animal, human and environmental factors and their combinations thereof. We consider the potential of the WHS framework as a tool for reducing (a) situation-specific hazards, and (b) the risks inherent in and arising from human–horse interactions. Whilst most—if not all—horses are unpredictable, the majority of horse-related injuries should be treated as preventable. The article concludes with a practical application of WHS to prevent horse-related injury by discussing effective evidence-based guidelines and regulatory monitoring for equestrian sectors. It suggests that the WHS framework has significant potential not only to reduce the occurrence and likelihood of horse-related human accident and injury, but to enable systematic accident analysis and investigation of horse-related adverse events.
Highlights
Despite workhorses being largely replaced by machinery in the industrial era, horses have continued to ‘work’ for humans
It seems prudent to consider if the application of a Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) framework to horse-related interactions across the broad horse industry could provide the same benefits in injury prevention and reduction that have been documented in other industries
It would appear that the ‘risk’ of human injury resulting from horses at work, the importance of record keeping and information seeking about this ‘working animal’, is given less attention when compared to other high risk workplaces that reply on suitable and safe work equipment
Summary
Despite workhorses being largely replaced by machinery in the industrial era, horses have continued to ‘work’ for humans. Horses aid humans in law enforcement and agriculture, and take centre stage in racing One significant difference between injury and fatality rates in high-risk industry compared to high-risk interspecies interactions across the combined sport and leisure sectors is Workplace Health and Safety (WHS). The same cannot be said for Australia’s horse industry where formal WHS application is inconsistent and restricted to select sectors like Thoroughbred Racing. This may result from diversity; with the equestrian sector including racing, sport, competition, recreation and leisure. This article suggests a research agenda that outlines the empirical research necessary to evaluate our propositions and concludes with the challenge that other high risk industries have reduced workplace injuries and deaths with WHS, so what’s preventing equine from achieving similar results
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