Newsletter

HSRA tool preview

03/08/2021

Since its development in 2002, the tool used to assess – and reduce – the risk of heat stress on livestock export voyages has grown increasingly sophisticated. It takes into account factors such as the type, age and weight of cattle and sheep, the ventilation systems on the ship, and weather expected along the route.

The latest update includes shifting the software and its underlying parameters to an online platform which can be updated as new data becomes available, and increasing its functionality to make it even easier for exporters to identify how many animals of each type can safely be loaded for a specific voyage.

The heat stress risk assessment (HSRA) model, as it’s known, was originally developed for voyages to, and through, the Middle East and has contributed to a significant improvement in animal welfare outcomes.

The latest review of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) prompted a recommendation that HSRA be used for every voyage crossing the equator. The LEP RD&E Program is currently working to update current weather data in the model and understand the validation necessary to enable its expansion to other markets.

Interviews with users identified the current HSRA software is prone to crashing and time intensive to use. Some exporters estimated it took a full day to enter the data, as part of their application to the regulator for each voyage. The update is heavily focused on improving the user experience by making HSRA quicker and more intuitive to both enter and adjust the data.

Different types of animals have different tolerance levels for hot, and particularly humid, weather. Based on these thresholds, along with the specific characteristics of each ship, the time of year, and destination, the HSRA calculates how much space is required for the cattle and sheep (ie how many are allowed on each voyage) to minimise the risk of them being affected by heat stress.

The new software will make and display this calculation at every step, allowing exporters to adjust their plans as they input the data. It will also allow details to be brought across from a previous voyage and then edited, rather than having to start fresh each time. Graphics will show how full each deck of the ship is, and show space allocated to different exporters if they are sharing a ship (see screenshot of the mock up below).

A pilot version of the online software is expected to be ready for user testing by October.

The intention is to increase capability once the basic version is working fully. This may include identifying the risk for each section of a voyage, so the ship’s route can be planned around it; and a way of showing the impact of moving departure and arrival dates if there are delays. 

A mock up of the new online software: