Why Snake Training Courses?

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Love them or loathe them. Either way we continue to be fascinated by snakes through a genuine fear or a natural curiosity about them.

Many people have learnt that snakes are to be feared from an early age, resulting in an attitude of “All snakes should be killed” or “if I see one I run the other way”. Neither of these approaches are particularly useful in a workplace with a reasonable probability of snake encounters.

The first “kill it with a shovel” approach places proponents in one of the highest risk groups for a bite while the second is counterproductive if the fear disables the individual from performing their duties. 

Mining and other outback industries operate in environments where personnel are quite likely to encounter snakes and other reptiles. Often they can be avoided until they naturally move on, however there are occasions where their presence poses a risk to passers-by or interrupts a task.

Snakes have legal protection under various pieces of state legislation and as such should not be interfered with unless they pose a direct threat to life. In many situations in the mining and oil and gas industry, a snake may be need to be relocated for work to continue. The current OH & S environment means an employer has a duty of care to ensure personnel are properly equipped to deal safely with situations arising in the course of their work. Therefore it is not sufficient to ignore the issue of snakes, by default leaving them to the bravest employee often wielding a shovel to deal with, as this places employees at risk of a bite and the company potentially in breach of legislative requirements.

The snake handling course fulfils three essential tasks in relation to these issues;

1. Provides training for personnel to safely manage these encounters. In the Basic Training there is no 'hands on' work with venomous snakes, with the students being taught to catch snakes with a hook and bag. 

2. Reduces irrational fear of snakes through a sound understanding of their behaviour and biology

3. Assists in changing the workplace culture, to one of respect for the natural environment

4. Supporting remote operations by reducing potentially dangerous interactions between personnel and the natural environment.

Course Participants Benefit From...

Highest standard of training from well-qualified, experienced instructors

Sonia Dewdney has lectured at tertiary level in environmental management and zoology. She has taught venomous snake safety courses to the energy industry, for National Parks and Wildlife and other agencies. She has worked with venomous snakes for the last 9 years. 

Max Dewdney currently consults in Environment Health and Safety to mining, oil and gas, and civil construction clients. 

A Clear Safety Record, Procedures and Equipment

There has never been a safety incident of any kind on a course or in our facility. Our policy is “Not once, not ever” with bites, and all our training and procedures emphasise safety as paramount. 

No physical handling of venomous snakes is required to safely catch or relocate them, and the two day course instructs participants how to capture and relocate snakes if needed without handling the snake itself.

All safety procedures are clearly set out, with protocols for students to apply whenever they are working with venomous snakes. All students are required to wear protective gaiters, long trousers and solid leather footwear when working with snakes.

Snakes differ, and there is not a ‘one size fits all’ piece of equipment that is safe and suitable for all situations. For this reason, we show the safest way to work with different species and also sizes of animals, and what equipment may best be used. As people often need to move snakes when the proper equipment is not at hand, we also teach participants how they can safely keep a snake at a safe distance and confined while improvising if needed.

We do not use, or advocate the use of tongs to catch venomous snakes, for the safety of the catcher, or the welfare of the snake. 

Individual Attention

To ensure we deliver the highest quality practical training, and that people do not wait around to have their turn, we run small groups of no more than 6 people per instructor for practical sessions, ensuring participants have a lot of practice working with live venomous snakes during the course. About half the course time is practical, and half is classroom.

Understanding Animal Behaviour

Gaining a thorough understanding of the behavioural traits of wild snakes is crucial for participants to remain safe. Snakes that have been captive for long periods of time habituate, and no longer act in the same manner as their wild counterparts. To ensure students are learning with snakes that behave like wild ones, we maintain several 'rotations' of training snakes, to ensure they are not overused on courses and become habituated in their behaviour. There are different safety and catching issues with snakes of various sizes, and students train on a variety of sized animals, including large and lively snakes. 

Follow Up

We wont just train you and then leave you to it. Instead, we provide updates on safety information and case studies as they become available. Refresher training is available, and we also offer qualified students the opportunity to maintain currency at our reptile facility if they wish. We are available by phone or email, if you have questions.

Two-Day Comprehensive Fauna Management and Relocation Course (venomous snakes). 

This course is run with snakes, including venomous snakes as the predominant component. However, we are able to include monitor lizards as a component for situations where staff may have to remove them (especially from pits and pipeline trenches). Students will learn how to use tools to work at a safe distance from the snake, while placing it in a bag, and how to double bag and bin safely for relocation. Download Training Course Details Here!

Theory Topics include:

Dispelling the Myths

First Aid for Snake Bite

Risk Management Systems

Biology and Toxinology

Medical Issues

Health Issues and Reptiles

Habitats and Incursion Risks

Transport and Release

Euthanasia

Restraint of Venomous Snakes

Licensing and Welfare

Emergency Response Plans

Presentation of Certificates and Questions

Practical Sessions include:

Pythons and Colubrids

Elapid behaviour  (Front Fanged Venomous Snakes)

Equipment and Handling Systems

Basic Catching Technique

Intro to Brown Snakes

Keys to Controlling Snakes

Improvising

Trapping

Confined Space Work

Brown Snakes

Working With Small Snakes

Working With Large Snakes

Challenging Snakes and Safety

Annual Refresher Training

We like to make sure everyone stays safe, and doesn’t pick up bad habits, especially with a sometimes infrequently practiced, precise motor skill activity such as snake catching. Therefore we provide annual refresher training for qualified people at a subsidised rate. This is one full day (or can be an afternoon and evening) of practical work, to make sure everyone enters the snake season with a refreshed, safe approach.

Advanced Training

Advanced training is available for people who have a genuine interest in working closely with venomous snakes. In the past we have trained venom researchers, reptile keepers, people who work as fauna monitors in the pipeline industry, and people who are simply keen to learn more.  This course is specially tailored to suit the participants, and advanced techniques such as tailing, tubing, trapping, removing animals from pipeline trenches, recording for scientific work etc are able to be practiced and learnt. 

Close Work with Venomous Snakes

In circumstances where there shown to be a genuine need for head-holding snakes, (such as for research or advanced husbandry work), we are able to teach close work with venomous snakes. This is only done on a one on one basis at our facility, without a prescribed timeframe. This is only taught in cases where an absolutely genuine need for the techniques is proven.