About MartSafe

The Livestock Auctioneers’ Association Limited (LAA) works to ensure that Livestock Auction Markets throughout England and Wales are working to the highest standards of health and safety and animal welfare, and complete and accurate traceability.

In 2021, the LAA launched MartSafe, an initiative providing practical advice, guidance and training on health and safety for auctioneers and livestock auction markets across England and Wales, in collaboration with professional health and safety consultants, Safety Sanctuary Limited. The initiative focuses across four key areas; safe people, safe vehicles, safe places, safe handling, using the #HammerItHome hashtag to raise awareness throughout the industry on social media.

Accessed via a Members Area of the LAA website, the MartSafe guidance includes a Health & Safety Guide for Livestock Auction Markets in England and Wales, accepting of the very different challenges faced by the range of Markets operated by members.

Accompanying the guide are 37 additional sections of supporting health and safety guidance, including checklists, templates and model policies and further resources to support livestock auction markets to #hammerithome. The LAA encourages members to make full use of these resources.

In addition to the MartSafe guidance, the LAA is also able to provide its membership with a free advisory service with professional health and safety consultants, Safety Sanctuary Limited, offering professional advice on health and safety matters across the whole of their businesses.

“We hope this initiative will not only provide practical advice and guidance to ensure every market is a safe place of work , but will also highlight everyone’s responsibility, including staff and those visiting and using livestock markets, to act and operate safely in the market environment by raising awareness on social media via the hashtag #HammerItHome .”

Zanna Dennis, Development Officer, Livestock Auctioneers Association Limited.

To access the Members Area, click here.
(Registration required)

MartSafe Training Programme

Following the success of the Safe Hands Master Drover Programme (2017) in co-operation with Animal-I and AHDB, the new MartSafe Training Programme draws on MartSafe: Health & Safety Guide for Livestock Auction Markets in England and Wales and previous Safe Hands training modules, providing members with a revised and updated training programme for all staff within the Livestock Auction Market, from drovers to auctioneers, administrators to fieldsmen.

“Market Staff are essential to the smooth operation of the Livestock Auction Market. They have a key role in ensuring that the highest standards of animal health and welfare are met at all times, and equally the health and safety of all staff, users and visitors of the Livestock Market.”

Chris Dodds, Executive Secretary, Livestock Auctioneers’ Association Limited

Designed to support existing in-house training and monitoring, the MartSafe Training Programme addresses the key requirements and responsibilities within Livestock Auction Markets, providing specialist advice, information and training on best practice through engaging and interactive exercises, practical tasks and relevant videos, delivered in the market by an experienced LAA Trainer.

MartSafe Training Programme Units:

• Animal Behaviour
• Safe Handling
• People Behaviour
• Animal Welfare

Each year the training is revised and updated allowing members the oppourtunity to progress through the MartSafe Training Programme on an annual basis. 

To make an enquiry regarding the MartSafe Training Programme, please contact:

Zanna Dennis
Livestock Auctioneers Association Limited
Development Officer

T: 07930 115838
E: [email protected]
W: www.laa.co.uk

Online Training 

Following on from the success of the in-person MartSafe Training Programme, the LAA is pleased to launch a new Online Training Portal to support further training and replace the previous Safe Hands Master Drover Programme Online Portal (2017).

Available to members from 13th February 2023, the new MartSafe Online Training Portal covers the same 4 core training units (Animal Behaviour, Safe Handling, People Behaviour & Animal Welfare) through interactive and engaging exercises, requiring participants to reflect on practises and facilities in their own market. 

To register to access the online training portal, please contact:

Stewart Hall, VBMS

E: [email protected]

T: 01280 735007