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Chemical Safety Records and Inspections

Records and inspections turn good intentions into habits you can see. This guide describes simple ones to keep and where to confirm what is required for your farm.

Why keep records at all?

Records show what you have, what you checked and what you fixed. They help you notice patterns, remember what was done and respond calmly when someone asks questions after an incident. They are also useful when you train new people, because you can point to real examples from your own farm.

They also support training and planning. A note that a hose was replaced after a leak is a reminder to check others of the same age.

When something goes wrong, a record of what you checked shows that you took care, and it often points to the cause.

What should I keep?

Start small. A chemical inventory, current safety data sheets, training notes and inspection logs cover most of what a family farm needs, and they can be kept in a single binder or folder.

Add records of spills, near misses and equipment repairs. If you use restricted-use pesticides or hire workers, ask your state department of agriculture and OSHA what additional records are required.

Date everything and use plain language. A log that is easy to fill in gets filled in.

• Inventory of products and where they are stored.
• Safety data sheets for each product.
• Training records with names and dates.
• Inspection and maintenance logs.
• Notes on spills, exposures and near misses.

What are the legal requirements?

Requirements differ by state, by product and by whether you have employees. Pesticide applicators may have record-keeping rules, and workplace rules may apply to training and exposure records.

This site does not state specific requirements or retention periods. Contact your state department of agriculture, the EPA and OSHA, and ask a clear question about your situation.

Be sure that any records you keep about employees are stored privately and shared only with those who need them.

How do I run a useful inspection?

Walk through storage and work areas with a checklist and a notebook. Look at containers, labels, floors, shelves, locks, ventilation, emergency equipment, fire extinguishers and signs.

Involve a second person where you can, because a fresh pair of eyes notices what you stopped seeing. Write down what you find, and set a date to fix each item.

Take photos of problems you find, with the date, to help you remember and to show a contractor or supplier what you mean.

How often should inspections happen?

Choose a schedule you can keep. A quick look each time you use a space, a more thorough walk-through each month or season and a full review each year is a common pattern, but the right one depends on your operation.

Add an extra look after storms, floods, extreme cold or heat, and after any incident. Some equipment, such as extinguishers and eye wash units, comes with maker instructions about checks.

Use the calendar on your phone or a wall calendar in the shop to schedule recurring checks and mark each one when done.

How do I follow up on what I find?

An inspection is only useful if problems get fixed. Assign each item to a person, write a date and mark it done when finished.

If something is beyond your skill, ask a qualified person to help. If something is an immediate hazard, take it out of service and keep people away until it is resolved.

Review open items at the start of each month so that nothing slips.

• Assign each fix to a named person.
• Write a due date next to each item.
• Cross it off and note the date when done.

How should records be stored and shared?

Keep records in a safe, dry place, with a copy of the important parts away from the farm if you can. Make sure more than one trusted person knows where they are.

Share what is needed with your insurer, your fire department and inspectors, and avoid sharing sensitive details more widely than necessary.

Make a habit of reviewing the records once a year to see what keeps recurring and what you can change to stop it. Choose a system that suits you, whether that is a paper binder, a spreadsheet or a notebook in the truck. The best record-keeping system is the one that you will actually use, so keep it simple and keep it where the work happens.

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