A farm that’s safe is well on its way to being successful.
An injury on the farm can be devastating, both emotionally and financially, so it’s a good thing they can be prevented for the most part. Identifying hazards and finding ways to manage those risks are important steps to keep yourself, your family and your employees safe. A health and safety plan can help ensure your farm is a safe place to work and these 8 tips can help you make it happen:
- Commit to keeping your farm safe
Put it in writing and display it where it’ll be top of mind for you and your workers. Lead by example – learn how to do every job safely and do it that way every time.
- Get your family and workers involved
Talk to the people on your farm and listen to them. This will help you identify any safety concerns and then weed them out.
- Train. Correct. Repeat.
Training workers and correcting safety concerns right away demonstrates that you’re serious about safety.
- Ensure everyone knows they, and others, are responsible for safety
Empower your workers so they know how they can contribute to the overall safety and well-being of your farm.
- Inspection is prevention
Encourage your workers to do regular inspections of the farm, their tools, equipment and machinery. Safety checks can literally save life and limb.
- Don’t ignore biohazards and chemicals
Sometimes the most dangerous hazards aren’t immediately noticeable. Workers should know all about the gases, viruses, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals they’re working with, and how to use them safely.
- Plan for the “What if?”
No matter how diligent you and your workers are with safety procedures, accidents sometimes happen. Being ready for an emergency is as important as working on prevention. List the emergencies you might encounter, how you’d get help and the role each person has to play. Taking these steps can help reduce confusion and panic in case of emergency, and that can help save lives. Emergency response training for all the workers on your farm can help you prepare for an emergency situation.
- Review and renew your plan
Your health and safety plan should be something that grows and changes along with your farm. Review your plans and protocols, with input from your family and workers, and update procedures as required. Work on the farm is always changing and there’s always room to make improvements to ensure everyone on your farm is safe.