Review of Incidents involving animals

On 22 October 2025, the Operational Preparedness, Response and Resilience Committee approved the review of the Operational Guidance for Incidents involving animals.

This review resulted in the development of some new content, including:

• Control measure – Animal at height or depth
• Control measure – Animal in an enclosed space
• Hazard – Marine mammal in distress
• Control measure – Initial assistance for a marine mammal in distress

The following three control measures have been archived, with the content being combined to form one new control measure, Approaching the animal:

1. Minimise the stress response of the animal
2. Cordon control: Animal incidents
3. Safe egress: Animal incidents

To support these changes, the following strategic actions have been archived:

• SA-18913
• SA-18923
• SA-18908
• SA-18976
• SA-18983

The following strategic action has been removed from this section of the Operational Guidance, but is still used by other sections of Operational Guidance:

• SA-18934

The following new strategic actions have been added:

• SA-185096
• SA-185165
• SA-185167
• SA-185169
• SA-185185
• SA-185302
• SA-185304
• SA-185307
• SA-185356
• SA-185581
• SA-185592
• SA-185595
• SA-185685
• SA-185767

The following strategic actions were reworded (minor change)

• SA-18941
• SA-18947
• SA-18921 (made specific to chemical restraint)
• SA-18955
• SA-18960
• SA-18968
• SA-18996
• SA-19004
• SA-19003
• SA-19012