Significant injuries in Australian veterinarians and use of safety precautions.
Abstract: A high injury prevalence has been reported among veterinarians. Studies describing the factors associated with injury have been limited. Objective: To describe the characteristics of serious injuries and the use of safety precautions at the time of injury in Australian veterinarians. Methods: Graduates in veterinary medicine from Australian universities completed questionnaires asking about injuries during their professional career including type of injury and circumstances during which injury occurred. Results: A total of 2188 significant injuries were reported. Injuries were most frequently sustained on farms (55%) and associated with undertaking procedural activities (37%) and examining and moving animals (37%). The hand (33%) was the commonest site involved. Injuries to the head and face regions accounted for 15% of all injuries. The most frequent injuries sustained were open wounds (36%), fractures and dislocations (27%) and soft tissue bruising (12%). There were 63 reports of intracranial injury and 19 traumatic amputations reported. Bites, kicks or strikes, animal contact and cutting or scratching were the most frequent mechanisms of injury reported. The major factors reported in association with injury were cattle (22%), horses (21%), dogs (20%) and cats (8%). Fifty-five per cent of veterinarians reported the use of safety precautions at the time of injury. Conclusions: Veterinarians are a high-risk group for significant injury from animal contacts. The reported use of safety measures and their effectiveness when used by veterinarians appear less than optimal. Further efforts aimed at addressing injury prevention may include developing and implementing improved safe handling practices and safety precautions.
Publication Date: 2009-05-25 PubMed ID: 19468101DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqp070Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the characteristics of serious injuries sustained by Australian veterinarians and their use of safety precautions during their professional practice. It found veterinarians to be at high risk due to animal contacts with animal handling and procedural activities on farms being the leading circumstances for injuries.
Methods
- The study selected graduates in veterinary medicine from Australian universities as participants.
- These participants were asked to complete questionnaires detailing injuries they had sustained during their professional career.
- The questionnaires sought information regarding the type of injury and the circumstances during which the injury occurred.
Results
- A total of 2188 significant injuries were reported, most frequently sustained on farms (55%) and while undertaking procedural activities (37%) or examining and moving animals (37%).
- The hand was the most common site of injury (33%), but injuries to the head and face also accounted for a significant portion (15%).
- Open wounds were the most common type of injury (36%), followed by fractures and dislocations (27%) and soft tissue bruising (12%).
- There were also reports of more serious injuries like intracranial injuries and traumatic amputations.
- Bites, kicks or strikes, animal contact and cutting or scratching were reported as the most common injury mechanisms.
- Cattle (22%), horses (21%), dogs (20%) and cats (8%) were identified as major factors in injury causation.
- The study concludes that veterinarians are a high-risk group for significant injury from animal contacts.
- While safety precautions were reported to have been in use at the time of injury by 55% of the veterinarians, their effectiveness appears to be questionable.
- The researchers suggest the development and implementation of improved safe handling practices and safety precautions to reduce injury risk.
Conclusions
Cite This Article
APA
Lucas M, Day L, Shirangi A, Fritschi L.
(2009).
Significant injuries in Australian veterinarians and use of safety precautions.
Occup Med (Lond), 59(5), 327-333.
https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp070 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Western Australian Institute for Medical Research B block, Hospital Avenue, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. mlucas@meddent.uwa.edu.au
MeSH Terms
- Accidents, Occupational / prevention & control
- Accidents, Occupational / statistics & numerical data
- Animals
- Australia / epidemiology
- Bites and Stings / epidemiology
- Bites and Stings / prevention & control
- Cats
- Cattle
- Dogs
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- Prevalence
- Risk Factors
- Safety Management
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Veterinarians / statistics & numerical data
- Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology
- Wounds and Injuries / etiology
- Wounds and Injuries / prevention & control
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Pekkola V, Kallio-Kujala I, Raekallio M, Lepajõe J, Salla K. Medetomidine-vatinoxan-methadone and acepromazine-methadone: comparison of sedative and cardiovascular properties as a preanaesthetic medication in healthy dogs. Acta Vet Scand 2025 Dec 2;68(1):1.
- Nakonechny L, Cisneros A, Moody CM, Stellato AC. Handling techniques and risk factors reported by veterinary professionals during dog examinations: a cross-sectional survey across Canada and the United States. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1634970.
- Chapman M, Fenner K, Thomas MJW. Lessons learnt from horse-related human fatalities: Accident analysis using HFACS-Equestrianism. Heliyon 2025 Feb 15;11(3):e42276.
- Fesseha H, Kefelegn T, Mathewos M. Animal care professionals' practice towards zoonotic disease management and infection control practice in selected districts of Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia. Heliyon 2022 May;8(5):e09485.
- Mishra S, Palkhade R. Risk factors and prevalence of work-related injuries and accidents among veterinarians in India. Vet World 2020 Nov;13(11):2555-2564.
- Adebowale OO, Afolabi MO, Adesokan HK, Fasanmi OG, Adeyemo OK, Awoyomi OJ, Fasina FO. Determinants of Work-Related Risks among Veterinary Clinical Students in South West Nigeria. Vet Med Int 2020;2020:2780378.
- Gronqvist G, Rogers C, Gee E, Martinez A, Bolwell C. Veterinary and Equine Science Students' Interpretation of Horse Behaviour. Animals (Basel) 2017 Aug 15;7(8).
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- Riley CB, Liddiard JR, Thompson K. A Cross-Sectional Study of Horse-Related Injuries in Veterinary and Animal Science Students at an Australian University. Animals (Basel) 2015 Sep 25;5(4):951-64.
- Kozak A, Schedlbauer G, Peters C, Nienhaus A. Self-reported musculoskeletal disorders of the distal upper extremities and the neck in German veterinarians: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2014;9(2):e89362.
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- Kabuusu RM, Keku EO, Kiyini R, McCann TJ. Prevalence and patterns of self-reported animal-related injury among veterinarians in metropolitan Kampala. J Vet Sci 2010 Dec;11(4):363-5.
- Coetzee JF, Nutsch AL, Barbur LA, Bradburn RM. A survey of castration methods and associated livestock management practices performed by bovine veterinarians in the United States. BMC Vet Res 2010 Mar 3;6:12.
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