I’ve always known that farming had its dangers. My husband has been through the usual petrol burn, splinters or weld flashes in the eye, battering from a ram and jammed fingers in machinery – plus a couple of other scars or memories of scars. But I have become particularly conscious of the dangers involved with Shearing.

Shearers must rank just as high in the accident/ injury stakes as Farmers themselves. It stands to reason really, when you think about it. After all they are dealing with cranky sheep who would rather be quietly back in their paddock contemplating their next blade of grass – not being snapped at by over keen dogs, pushed and shoved by loud cursing boys and finally dragged in an indignant manner across a manure soaked floor to have a noisy machine rid them of their wonderful coat. So of course they kick and twist in an attempt to get away!

This twisting and kicking leads to the first of the dangers: the dreaded handshear accident. This week’s drama – a handpiece dug into my husband’s hand – “a neat cut”, I’ve been told – with 12 stitches. “Lucky”, we’ve been told because it wasn’t through an artery, into the ankle or down the leg – I have heard at least a half dozen stories this week that have convinced me this is a too common an occurrence among the shearing community.

There are of course the long term injuries which feature mainly in the back. I do hope every shearer throughout Australia is now using a Shearer’s back aid! When I visited Geelong Wool Museum a few years I was stunned to find that they had never heard of them and they certainly were not on display! I hope that is not the case now. They should be a compulsory provision for them to be hung in every shearing shed. It won’t stop all injuries but have prooved to be a great help to many.

Of course there are the unusual accidents. The best one (or worse) I heard was the young shearer who happened to have metal studs hanging off all available appendages (including rather private ones). Unfortunately for him, while he was shearing, the shed was struck by lightening. The metal zips on trousers didn’t help either.  He was very sore for a while!

The other reason for writing this is to find out about another danger for shearers. I overheard some shearers talking about “Shearer’s fever.”  The shearer had been working in Queensland and contracted it. I have since discovered that it is also called Q fever and is prevalent mainly in the Tropics. Sometimes it is called “red water disease” and it can be fatal. Having lived all my life in the cooler climes, I haven’t hear much about this.

I looked up the internet and got this on the site: hnb.dhs.vic.gov.au/web/pubaff/medrel.nsf/

What is Q Fever?

Q Fever is an infection with symptoms similar to a severe case of the flu. People usually get severe headaches, a high fever, chills and sweats, and muscle pains, and usually need time off work. More severe infections can lead to hepatitis, pneumonia and encephalitis.

Who is at risk?

Sheep, cattle, goats (feral) and some wild animals can carry and pass on the germ that causes Q Fever. This means livestock and dairy farmers, shearers and sheep-shearing industry workers, abattoir and related meat processing and transport workers are at risk of Q fever.

What can I do?

Get vaccinated

Can anyone tell me more?  How widespread it is and is there still much of it around?   This information was 2002 – have things changed?