Article Text
Abstract
Background Agricultural producers lack an easily understandable reference to help them develop a comprehensive safety and health plan for their operation. While many examples of safety management plans exist for general industry, they do not relate well to the hazards and risk of agriculture.
Objective To develop an agricultural safety and health management plan reference manual applicable to a wide range of agricultural operations.
Results The manual Safety and Health Management Planning for General Farm and Ranch Operations. The major sections of this manual include: Establishing Safety policies and Procedures; Identifying and assessing Hazards and Risks; Preventing and Controlling Hazards and Risks; Educating and Training Employees; and Evaluating Training Program and Resources. The manual provides several examples and forms that help users adapt and implement a safety and health management plan that matches their operation. The safety and health management plan also helps farm and ranch owners be aware of safety and health regulations that their operation may be under.
Conclusions The Safety and Health Management Planning for General Farm and Ranch Operations has been well accepted by the agricultural community. The manual is in its second printing and has been used as part of an Agricultural Safety and Health Certificate course for safety professionals and insurers loss control specialist offered by the International Society of Agricultural Safety and health. It is also serving as a basis to develop companion manuals for specific types of farming operations such as biomass producers and dairy producers.
- Agricultural Safety & Health
- Safety and Health Management
- Farm Safety