Whether they’re man-made or natural disasters, emergencies such as tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, severe winter storms, severe dust storms, etc., may put people, property and animals at risk. Developing an emergency action plan (EAP) tailored to your specific site and operation can greatly lessen confusion resulting from the emergency, decrease injuries, and limit property destruction during and after the emergency.
In an agricultural setting, man-made emergencies may come in numerous forms:
- Wildfires
- Explosions
- Animal-handling incidents
- Grain entrapments
- Power failures
- Rotating and moving equipment
- Chemical releases/spills
- Amputations
- Vehicle incidents (turnovers, rollovers)
- Workplace violence
- Accidental poisonings
Planning a response to these scenarios can be highly beneficial to everyone involved in the operation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends organizing a plan that is “broad enough to address all types of emergencies or disasters that could possibly occur on the farm.” A small business or organization may not require a written plan. However, it’s always a good practice to keep a written plan. The most effective plans emerge from time spent in thoughtful planning that addresses specific features of your operation.
It's recommended that all workers be involved in preparing the emergency plan to ensure some “ownership” in the effort. By including everyone, a greater understanding of potential emergency situations is increased.
Creating a plan
A starter farm emergency plan template can be found online and can be modified as necessary.
After preparing an EAP, take time to review, update and modify it at least annually if shortcomings are observed. Whenever a new worker is hired, owners/managers should review the plan with them and designate their responsibilities or actions regarding the plan. All workers should be aware of potential man-made and natural workplace emergency situations that could have an impact on the farm.
First responders or the fire department should be involved in implementing and exercising an EAP. Invite them to walk the site and record important information that may be critical for making life-saving decisions during an incident.
Preplanning gives first responders the opportunity to become familiar with:
- The site’s physical layout, including buildings and other structures
- Hazardous chemicals (pesticides, anhydrous ammonia, etc.) and equipment
- Locations where employees would be if an emergency occurred
- Important contacts, including daytime and nighttime contact information
- How utilities (electric, gas, water) can be controlled
- Evacuation plans, security, etc.
- First responders’ limitations
Training workers may vary from operation to operation. In some scenarios, formal classroom-style training for workers and others will facilitate working one-on-one. If workers are expected to perform effectively in an emergency, training of both individuals and teams is required. Emergency training should be conducted periodically or as needed to maintain workplace preparedness. Training and training materials should be provided to workers in a language they understand.
Key training areas include:
- Evacuation plans
- Alarm systems
- Reporting procedures for personnel
- Shutdown procedures
- Types of potential emergencies
Unless a plan is tested, it’s difficult to predict its problems and shortcomings. Exercises and drills are recommended as excellent tools to minimize potential problems. They should be held annually or as needed to practice all or critical portions (such as evacuation) of the EAP.
Exercises and drills should be followed up with a meeting to review and evaluate what happened, why it happened, and how the EAP can be improved or how the exercise can be done better by the employer/manager and workers.
In an area where clinic or hospital facilities are not in near proximity to the work site, at least one person should be trained to render first aid. It’s also essential that basic first-aid supplies are available. Emergency phone numbers should be posted in visible places, inside farm vehicles and on telephones.
A well-trained and disciplined emergency response team is a farm’s most valuable asset during the first few minutes of an emergency. The emergency response may be provided by an outside organization, such as a fire department, or the farm/organization’s internal emergency response team. Workers who are members of the emergency response team should be thoroughly trained and physically capable of performing emergency response duties and responsibilities. They should also be knowledgeable about the hazards specific to the site.
Including everyone
All team members should know when to take action themselves or when to wait on outside assistance (such as a fire department) when an emergency or disaster is too large to handle.
One or more of the team members should be trained in:
- How and when to use various types of fire extinguishers
- First aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Shutdown procedures
- Chemical spill control procedures
- Emergency rescue procedures
When documenting the EAP, include:
- Date the plan was completed or updated to facilitate ongoing reviews
- An “out-of-town” contact who has some familiarity with the operation, as a local disaster may overwhelm local communication channels, but a call to a contact outside the immediate area may go through
- Having utility poles numbered to speed emergency response times
- GPS coordinates (obtained through mapping programs such as Google Maps or Apple Maps) – especially if there is no road address for the site or if the county doesn’t have a 911 system
- Directions to the farm so they can be read to a dispatcher directly from the plan – in the chaos of an emergency, memory may not be reliable in providing details
A 78-page EAP workbook with a wealth of planning information and forms is available online from Pennsylvania State University Extension.
At a minimum, an EAP should include:
- Preferred means for reporting emergencies
- Emergency escape procedures and routes
- Procedures to account for workers
- Procedures for workers who remain on-site after the alarm sounds
- Duties for workers designated to perform rescue and medical functions
- Possible emergency events, incidents and life-threatening situations
- Emergency escape routes, shelter-in-place locations and rally points
- Floor plans and workplace maps
- A chain of command to prevent confusion and coordinate the work
- Emergency communication equipment, such as two-way radios or a public address system for workers and first responder notification
- Special equipment needed for emergencies and disaster response
- Workers’ next-of-kin emergency phone numbers and contacts
- Farm inventory that includes location of livestock, electrical shut-off locations, buildings and structures, and farm machinery/equipment makes and model numbers
- Needed supplies, such as sandbags, fire extinguishers, gas-powered generators and hand tools
- If needed, location of primary and secondary areas to relocate farm assets and workers
- Location of buildings in the vicinity that can be used as a command post or logistical assistance area
