‘Tis the season for family, fun, and festivities. You’ve worked hard all year, and now it’s time to slow down and enjoy a little well-earned celebration. You’ve earned it. Just remember, for the sake of both you and your loved ones, to practice a little personal safety this holiday season.

The holidays are a time for loved ones to gather and celebrate the season. But let’s not forget to practice personal safety – for both you and your family – during this festive time.

Regular safety meetings play an important role in communicating your company’s safety program information. They are a vital means of providing training for your employees about their workplace hazards and expected safe work habits. Safety meetings are also a great way to provide a quick refresher of previous training and reinforce the safety culture of your operation.

For many ag operations, winter is the “off-season,” making it an excellent time to ensure your employees have completed their annual safety training. It’s also a good time to conduct a hazard assessment of your operation. Here are four things you can do now to help ensure that your next year is as safe as possible.

Slips, trips, and falls in the workplace are no laughing matter. In fact, they account for more than 225,000 injuries a year. And 70% of these incidents occur on level surfaces with falls from less than four feet above ground!

Farm work is some of the most dangerous work there is. Every year, more than 480 people in the US are killed performing ag-related jobs. Hundreds more are seriously injured. According to OSHA, it is the employer’s responsibility to evaluate the workplace and ensure a risk-free environment.

Thank you. It’s not hard to say, but until this time of year, many of us rarely slow down enough to think about what we’re truly thankful for in our lives. Here at Good Days Work, we have so much to be thankful for—our families, our health, the opportunities ahead—the list could go on and on. But, first and foremost, we are thankful for you, the farm families that serve our communities.

One moment you are having a casual chat with a co-worker over lunch. Suddenly, she grasps her throat and begins to turn blue.  What do you do?

Your farm-safety program doesn’t have to be complicated, but, for it to work, everyone in the operation needs to buy into it. These seven steps will help you convince managers and employees to take ownership of the safety program and drive the safety agenda.

Note: The following is an excerpt from an article published in the November 2015 issue of Feedlot Magazine.