Emergency Response Plan - Venomouse Snakes

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bluelindley

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Hey,

Just wondering if someone might be able to assist. As you may know one of the requirements for a Venomous Keepers Licence is to have a Emergency Response Plan. I don't have a great idea on where to start so I was wondering if any of the Venomous Keepers would have a copy of their plan or a draft plan that they could possible share.

Thanks,
Brendon
 
Maybe a plan if they escape an enclosure, if they get a deadly virus perhaps or if you get bitten. Just think of some emergencies that might occur I guess. I don't know much about keeping vens or the NSW system but I guess common sense would be a good thing to start with

Hole this helps
 
If you can't come up with an ERP or have much of an idea where to start, do you think you're really prepared to keep vens?
Not attacking, but a good question you should ask yourself. When dealing with vens its pretty much 0 - emergency should anything go wrong...
 
Thanks BredliFreak. And arevenant I know exactly what to put in, it's more the way that a response plan would be set out. In case of an emergency I might not be the only person that could be reading it so I would like it to be as professional as it can be.
 
I'm assuming that your just having issues with how the document needs to be structured. If you google "emergency response plan template" you will find plenty of plans for different businesses and industries that can be adapted to suit Vens. All that they need you to show in the plan is that you have thought about what you will do if certain issues occur, like snake bite or escaped animals. It can also outline procedure that you have put in place to minimise the occurrence of incidents.

Also look up Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA). Construction and mining use these to reduce risks with specific tasks.

At the end of the day, all they want is a document that shows that you have considered possible emergency and shows that you have procedures in place to deal with them. Don't forget to include phone numbers for any relevant emergency services and possible local snake relocators.
 
Both black snakes, here's a link to the effects of the red belly venom.
Keep your plan simple as possible, simple and straight to the point. Check in with yourself every time you go to open the enclosure,... are you feeling tired, hungover etc... can it wait till you feel more switched on....gotta be on the ball, especially this time of year.


https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2010...-snake-pseudechis-porphyriacus-envenoming-and
 
What's your previous experience with vens/aggressive snakes? Just curious. Some of the smaller, less dangerous elapids would also be a good addition e.g YFW, GC. This time if you aren't on the ball the consequence isn't as bad. I love black snakes though, the Collet's are a beautiful snake but RBB's are one of the best IMO.
 
Both black snakes, here's a link to the effects of the red belly venom.

https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2010...-snake-pseudechis-porphyriacus-envenoming-and

I was one of those case studies Graham. Got tagged by a RRB while assist shedding. I was doing live shows at a Western Sydney Shopping Centre and needed to rotate a RRB for the show the next day. I had it by the back of the neck and while I was assisting it to shed it moved around and had a bit of a chew on the left index finger. Only one fang penetrated but I shore felt it. It knocked me around a bit and was the most painful ven bite I've experienced. Spent the night in St George Hospital and discharged the next day. I vial of Tiger antivenom. Now I've got a nice scar on the index finger to remind me of it.

George.
 
Sorry to hear that George, I've been interested in the effects of different venoms for quite some time and the people I know that have been tagged by blacks all say the same about the pain. It may have been good luck that you received the anti-venom so quickly, another friend (probably mutual too) who lost a finger comes to mind, but I'll have to ask him next time wether he waited or even if he did in fact receive anti-venom considering his allergies to the serum. He may of been in the study too.
I've been run off my feet with red bellies lately, and this paper forms a part of my bite plan, my family know to bring it in if they get the call from the hospital. I want the doc to read it!
One snake in particular just 2 days ago, 6ft rbb in a dorm at the local drug and alchohol rehab centre, on that 39degree day, last wed, gave me cause to just re-affirm that my own plan wasn't covered in dust and everyone still remembered it.
but at least with the rbb your still capable of conversation and able to maintain some control over what the doc does , unlike some other venoms. (well, as far as i can tell anyway, was this the case with you mate,.... though it knocked you, were you still able to talk throughout the 'trip' ? )
 
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I'll post a warning that some may find this a little distressing but it's what can happen as a result of a RBB bite.


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...llied-black-snake-venom-bite-video-dead-flesh

George.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah cement I was able to talk and keep chatting with the docs throughout the whole experience. I've been tagged a couple of times and usually develop severe itching (pruritus) on the soles of the feet and palms of the hand as a result of the antivenom.

Got tagged through the bag by a Tiger doing a demo' at Casino Show once and had to chase the interns away and threaten to sue them if they touched me. Unfortunately they had no idea what they were doing. Didn't have any Tiger av at Casino Hospital either and wanted to use Polyvalent. I made them put me in an ambulance and take me to Lismore where they had a doctor who had experience with snake bite and Tiger av. 3 Vials of Tiger av and 3 days in hospital and i was back on my feet and doing demos again the next weekend.
 
Thanks George,
RBB's are a snake that many guys seem to underrate. . A genuine 2m red belly on a hot day is a serious animal in my book!

With the tiger bite.... obviously you would have done your own first aid, but what were the first syptoms that you felt that made you realise yep I've got a dose? Was there pain at the bite site like with the RB? How long do you reckon the first aid held the venom for before getting serious signs?
 
I knew I got a dose pretty much straight away. There was slight stinging sensation at the bite site. Nothing any where near as bad as the RBB. I had a bandage in my back pocket and applied it immediately so it pretty much held the venom sufficiently that I didn't really start to feel major effects until I was at Lismore hospital. I didn't let them remove it at Casino.

I remember that at Lismore the doctor said he had never met anyone so relaxed after being bitten by any snake let alone such a venomous one. I was confident I'd be alright once I received the av.

Over the next couple of days I had all the symptoms associated with a serious snake bite but just relaxed and went with it. Felt ok around the morning of the next day but they kept me in for observation.
 
I'll post a warning that some may find this a little distressing but it's what can happen as a result of a RBB bite.


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...llied-black-snake-venom-bite-video-dead-flesh

George.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah cement I was able to talk and keep chatting with the docs throughout the whole experience. I've been tagged a couple of times and usually develop severe itching (pruritus) on the soles of the feet and palms of the hand as a result of the antivenom.

Got tagged through the bag by a Tiger doing a demo' at Casino Show once and had to chase the interns away and threaten to sue them if they touched me. Unfortunately they had no idea what they were doing. Didn't have any Tiger av at Casino Hospital either and wanted to use Polyvalent. I made them put me in an ambulance and take me to Lismore where they had a doctor who had experience with snake bite and Tiger av. 3 Vials of Tiger av and 3 days in hospital and i was back on my feet and doing demos again the next weekend.

Hey George, did you read that piece in the article that read: And though the critter responsible isn't even that venomous, I wonder how THEY define venomous. 1 more thing, doesn't the venom cause the effected person to lose their sense of taste/smell? :) ....................Ron
 
Ron, that can be testament to just how venomous our snakes really are. RB not anywhere near the top 10 aussie elapids, they hardly rate, but whats dangerously venomous? Does losing digits or possible dialysis for life rate as dangerously venomous, though your not a statistic?
It depends on your point of view, either way, personally I treat them with utmost respect.
 
People love to overanalyse. You want to put a bandage on, contain the snake, call an ambulance and organise the fastest safe trip to hospital possible. Making it much more complicated than that is counterproductive.

In the heat of the moment you're not going to pull out a full page of text and go through it, and if your plan said that calling an ambulance was a higher priority than containing the snake, but you're still holding the snake and you're right next to the enclosure, you're not going to drop the snake on the floor, call an ambulance then come back to catch the snake. Real life emergencies in real life situations are dynamic.

If you're asking not because you don't know how to handle yourself but rather how to keep the NSW department happy in their over the top, hyperregulated, paper-pusher-pleasing pursuit of pedanticism (which a disturbing number of Australians embrace, something which becomes even more astonishing when you spend time in non Australian cultures, including western ones), the advice of googling standard emergency procedures is good. Particularly, use their formal language - paper pushers are lazy and prone to things like checking for key words and formal grammar rather than making sure things makes sense.
 
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