Health & Safety
Health & Safety Advice
Animals can live with some organisms in their bodies that will cause serious illness if passed to humans, examples include salmonella, ringworm and e-coli. They can be passed by hand to mouth contact so hand hygiene after the visit is essential.
It is difficult to stop very young children putting their hands in their mouths after touching the animals we advise that children under 3 years do not touch the animals.
Important Health & Safety Rules
- All the group will listen to the safety briefing at the start of the visit.
- After handling the animals wash your hands using soap and running water before you eat or smoke.
- Disinfectant gel is not effective alone at preventing cross infection. Wash your hands with soap and water first.
- Do not attempt to kiss the animals or touch their water troughs.
- Prevent children from putting their hands in their mouths during the visit.
- No eating or drinking during the tour.
- Do not climb on any walls, gates or fences
- Any pre existing cuts, wounds or grazes must be covered with a waterproof dressing to avoid infection.
- Any child’s dummy that falls to the ground should be sterilised before being given back to the child.
- Wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking around on uneven and possibly muddy ground. Take the season into account.
- Stay with your guide at all times
- Children remain the responsibility of their parents/guardians including ensuring that they follow the rules and any instructions given.
- Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the farm.
Feeding the animals
Visitors’ interaction with the animals is supervised. Visitors will be advised to keep their hands flat and straight or use scoops. Handwashing facilities are available. Animal feed may contain traces of nuts. Visitors will be asked about allergies on arrival. Alpacas can kick out if scared or surprised so please do not go behind them, or try to touch their rear end during the visit.
Pregnant Women
Alpacas are naturally docile creatures but can kick out if scared or threatened. If you are concerned we can structure the visit so you remain outside the enclosures.
Risk Assessment Summary
Activity | Risks | Action required by visitors and staff |
|---|---|---|
Weather | Slipping, heat exposure, sunburn, wind exposure | Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing for the weather. The ground can be uneven and slippery when wet. Suitable protection is recommended from the sun. |
Car park | Slipping, tripping, injury from vehicles | The car park is small and the road is not busy but please take care and keep below 5 mph. Children remain the responsibility of their parents/guardians at all times. |
Walking, running, climbing | Slipping, tripping, falling | Visitors should take care when walking around the site. We advise all visitors to wear sensible and appropriate footwear to match the conditions on the day of the visit, advice is provided on website/booking form. Visitors should take care at steps, road and path edges to avoid tripping and falling. Children must be adequately supervised and instructed not to run, climb walls, gates or other objects situated on or around the site. |
Site traffic | Various | No unaccompanied farm or public vehicles are allowed in the main visitor area during opening times, excepts in emergencies & emergency vehicles, staff to assist in access. |
Prohibited areas | Various hazards | It is the parent/guardians responsibility to ensure that children are instructed not to go beyond the designated areas. Prohibited areas are indicated, sectioned off and only accessible to staff. |
Electrical equipment | Fire, electric shock | Visitors should not come into direct contact with any electrical equipment during their visit. Please DO NOT touch or interfere with any equipment as it may cause harm. Electrical work is carried out and professionally maintained by qualified electricians. |
Fire | Various hazards, panic, loss of control | Fire risk assessments have been carried out for the farm and adequate controls are in place. In case of fire, parents/guardians should ensure that any children in their care go to the fire assembly point in the car park.
SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED ANYWHERE ON THE FARM. |
Chemicals | Inhalation, skin and eye contact | Chemicals are used around the farm, all safety precautions are taken to ensure visitors do not come into contact with chemicals. |
Displays and events | Various | Individual displays, demonstrations, events are controlled by their own Risk Assessments, these are produced in respect of each activity and are available on request. |
First Aid – Allergies, bees, wasps, insects, pollen | Stings, allergy, hay fever, asthma | In the unlikely event that a visitor or member of staff is stung by a bee or wasp please make the first aider aware in the first instance. Any asthma/hay fever sufferers should make sure they bring their medication with them. |
Feeding the animals | Biting, scratching, kicking, risk of reaction to animal feed or allergic reaction to animals | Visitors’ interaction with the animals is supervised. Visitors will be advised to keep their hands flat and straight or use scoops Handwashing facilities are available. Animal feed may contain traces of nuts. Visitors will be asked about allergies on arrival. |
Designated eating areas | Infection | All visitors are reminded to wash their hands before eating. There will be no eating in the animal enclosures and no animals in the eating areas. |
Animal disease | Various | Handwashing will be main protection, livestock will be checked each day before opening, advice will be sought from DEFRA in the event of a national/regional outbreak of disease. |