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Annual Safety Review for Older Farmers

Once a year, take stock. A short, structured review catches changes in health, equipment and routines before they turn into injuries.

Why do an annual review?

Farms and people change slowly, and slow changes are easy to miss. A step rots, eyesight dims, a machine develops a quirk, a helper moves away. A yearly review replaces guesswork with a look at what is true today.

Pick a quiet time, such as late winter or after harvest. Write the date on the calendar and treat it like any other appointment you do not skip.

• Slow changes are easy to miss
• Choose a quiet season
• Put the date on the calendar

What health topics belong on the list?

Schedule a visit with your clinician. Bring a list of medicines and a description of your work. Ask which tasks are safe, which need changes and what warning signs matter for you. Ask about vision, hearing, balance, sleep and mood.

If something has changed this year, such as a new diagnosis, a fall or a change in medicine, say so. Ask for guidance in writing and share it with family. Keep records of the visit date and the advice given, so you can compare from year to year.

• Medicines, vision, hearing and balance
• Sleep, mood and stress
• Changes since last year

How do you review tasks and who does them?

List your regular jobs and mark which ones have become harder, scarier or lonelier. Decide which can be shared, simplified or ended. Work at height, heavy lifting, large animals, grain handling and night work often deserve extra thought.

Be honest and practical. The aim is to keep you farming safely, not to shrink your role without cause. Include seasonal workers and family who help only at busy times, since they are the people least familiar with your farm. Treat the review as a conversation as much as a checklist. Ask each person on the farm what worries them most and what has become harder this year. Their answers often point to the most useful changes, and they feel heard.

• Mark tasks that feel harder
• Share or end the riskiest ones
• Keep the roles you value

What should you inspect around the farm?

Walk the buildings, yards and paths. Look at steps, ladders, lighting, floors, railings, doors and gates. Note anything loose, rotten, slippery or hard to see. Check fire extinguishers according to their labels, and ask your fire department about farm fire safety.

Look at equipment guards, shields, brakes, lights and tires against the manufacturer's manuals. Do not rely on memory for specifications. Make a repair list with dates. Take photos of problems before and after repairs, which helps with planning and with any later conversations about the farm. If the review turns up something serious, do not wait for next year. Fix urgent hazards right away and put the rest on a dated list.

• Steps, ladders, lighting and floors
• Guards, brakes, lights and tires
• A repair list with dates

How do you refresh emergency plans?

Update the list of contacts, medicines and conditions. Check that the farm address, field names and access routes are clear and shared with family and, where possible, dispatch. Confirm check-in routines and test any alert devices where you work.

Consider a first aid, CPR and AED class refresh through the Red Cross or another recognized provider. In an emergency, call 911.

• Update contact and medicine lists
• Share access routes and field names
• Refresh first aid and CPR training

How do you close the loop with family?

Share the results with family and anyone who works on the farm. Agree on three changes for the coming year and who will do each one. Set a date to check progress at the next review.

Thank each other. A review is a sign that people care about the farm and one another. Keep the checklist short enough that you will actually use it every year.

• Share results
• Agree on three changes
• Set a progress date

What if you cannot do all of this alone?

Ask for help. An extension educator, a family member or a neighbor can walk the farm with you and see what you no longer notice. Many hands make the review shorter and the results better.

If cost is a concern, start with the items that affect life and limb: lighting, steps, brakes, guards and alerts. Fix those first and plan the rest over time. Ask local offices about programs, since availability varies.

• Invite a second pair of eyes
• Fix life-and-limb items first
• Ask about local programs

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.