CVS Equine launches health and safety programme

CVS Equine has launched a dedicated health and safety training programme for its equine veterinary team members.

The Equine Health and Safety Course, believed to be the first of its kind designed for all members of the practice team, has been published on CVS’ internal Knowledge Hub platform.

The course, which is mandatory for all colleagues who handle horses from vets to patient care assistants, was developed as part of a three-year collaborative research programme with the University of Liverpool.

Protective helmets

Last year, CVS Equine and the University of Liverpool were among stakeholders who agreed to develop dedicated protective helmets for equine vets after their research discovered 94.3% of equine clinical staff had received a work-related injury during their career.

The training programme is said to have been designed to directly address the study’s findings.

It focuses on real-world application of safety principles in equine practice, including developing situational awareness and carrying out dynamic risk assessments, understanding equine behaviour and recognising early signs of stress, safe positioning and handling techniques, and correct use of personal protective equipment.

It also reinforces the importance of incident reporting and supports the development of a no-blame safety culture.

Evidence-based training

CVS Equine director Simon Joyner said: “This course is an important step forward, ensuring that every member of the practice team – not just clinicians – has access to consistent, evidence-based training.

“By improving awareness, confidence and behaviours around safety, we can help protect our colleagues and ultimately improve outcomes for both people and patients.

“We hope it will contribute to lasting positive change across the equine veterinary sector, helping to reduce preventable injuries and promote safer ways of working.”