Emergency Action Plans in Agriculture

1. Emergencies are never planned, but you can plan for an emergency. It is important to prepare workers on how to react confidently and what they should do in the event an emergency or disaster occurs.

2. An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) must be specific to the farm and/or ranch and it should identify and organize the employer's responsibilities and the worker's responsibilities in the response of an emergency or disaster.

3. EAPs should include plans for natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, severe storms (winter/dust), lightning, and earthquakes.

4. Man-made agricultural emergencies Should also be included in the plan. Wildfires, explosions or fires, animal handling incidents, grain entrapments, power failures, rotating and moving equipment incidents, chemical exposures, severe Injuries, vehicle incidents, and workplace violence are some to take into consideration.

5. An EAP should include information on escape procedures and routes, shelters and rally points, method of attendance, procedures for those who remain onsite after the emergency, duties for certified workers to perform rescue or medical functions, chain of command, method of reporting emergency, and important contact information in regard to the plan.

6. The EAP should also cover all possible emergency events, including floor plans and workplace maps, location of special equipment for communication or necessary supplies (sandbags, fire extinguishers, generators, etc.), worker's emergency contacts, and farm inventory (livestock, electrical shut-off locations, farm machinery/equipment).

7. The EAP needs to be reviewed at least annually and must be revised when there are any changes in procedures or exposures on the farm/ranch.

8. Once emergency procedures are well-documented in the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) it is important to review the EAP with each worker. Especially when a worker is a new hire or their responsibilities change or their job task is altered and exposures are different.

9. Workers and contractors must be trained on alarm systems, evacuation plans, reporting procedures, shutdown procedures, and types of potential emergency situations.

10. On top of training, workers must undergo farm exercises and drills to better prepare for a potential emergency situation. Drills and exercises are also a great way to determine the effectiveness of your EAP and identify if there are any key areas that need improvement.

11. Have you experienced any workplace emergencies? What are some things that were done well and some things that could have been done differently?

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