I caught up with a friend last week who owned a large dairy farm and now works for a farm co-op in his “retirement.” When I mentioned ag-safety programs and OSHA compliance, he quickly rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, “Ugh,” with a chuckle.

Every farm needs an ag-safety program that complies with OSHA regulations, and your boss selected you to lead the project. You are definitely up for this new challenge. Although you know how important safety and health are to the longevity and success of the farm, you see just one, small problem—you don’t have time to become an OSHA expert.

Running an agriculture operation is hard work. It’s also dangerous work. Every year agriculture finds itself at the top of the list of the ten most dangerous industries in the United States. Little wonder, then, that OSHA has started paying more attention to farms, feedlots, dairies, and other ag operations. And with the cost of OSHA citations increasing, farmers and ranchers simply can’t afford to let unsafe operating practices go overlooked.

Depending on the size of your operation, chances are good that you need to move heavy loads around. Whether they be skids of seeds, tanks, or other common farm equipment, it is probably a powered industrial truck (PIT) – commonly called a forklift – that you’re going to use for the job.  It may also be a skid steer, payloader or telehandler.  And just like any other heavy farm equipment, operating a forklift comes with its own hazards and concerns.

Vendors, processors, retailers, lenders and other allied industry in agriculture are requiring more and more audits of our production practices.  One request that is becoming more common is verification that growers and producers of commodities are providing Safety Training to their employees.  Though this is somewhat new to agriculture, these requests are accelerating.  It isn’t just OSHA that is interested in validating your training practices.  These entities see it as another area that they can assure their customers that the food they eat is produced in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly and employee-friendly manner.

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?

Investing in proper safety training is an important component of your operation’s preparations for a new year. As you can see below, just the financial costs of injuries – and deaths – from ag-related activities can cost your business thousands of dollars a year. And this is even before OSHA gets involved!

As an ag operation owner, you no doubt have an insurance plan in place in case something goes wrong. It's part of the price of doing business in the event of an accident or disaster. Sometimes, that insurance plan can mean the difference between staying afloat after a particularly difficult year and going under completely.

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.

Whether you have a robust Safety Training program in place, or realize that you must get one started very soon, it can be helpful to establish your core objectives at the beginning of each year.  Here are some considerations: