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Building a Farm Emergency Plan

A written farm emergency plan turns scattered knowledge into something everyone can find and follow. It does not need to be long, but it does need to be specific to your place.

What goes into a farm emergency plan?

Think of the plan as the answers to the questions responders and family members will ask at the worst possible moment. It should fit on a few pages and be easy to read when someone is stressed.

Official farm safety organizations publish templates and worksheets. Start from one of those and adjust it to your operation rather than writing from nothing.

• Emergency numbers and the farm's full address, written large.
• A simple map showing buildings, fields, gates, water sources and shutoffs.
• A list of hazards on the property and where they are.
• Names and numbers for family, employees, neighbors, veterinarian and utilities.
• Where first aid supplies, fire extinguishers and keys are kept.

How do you map the farm for responders?

Draw the property as an outsider would see it. Mark entrances, the best approach for large vehicles, locked gates and who holds the key, overhead lines, fuel and chemical storage, grain bins and manure storage, and any area where cell service is poor.

Consider giving a copy to your local fire department and ambulance service, and ask whether they would like to walk the property. Many rural departments welcome that. Keep a copy by the phone in the house and another in the shop.

Who does what when something goes wrong?

Decide roles before you need them. One person calls 911, one person goes to meet responders at the road, and one person stays with the injured person if it is safe and the dispatcher advises it. On a small farm one person may have to do all three, so the plan should also cover what to do when someone is alone.

Make sure roles do not depend on a single person. If the owner is the injured one, the family and workers must still know what to do.

What about hazards that need special planning?

Some situations call for planning with professionals, not improvising. These include grain bin entrapment, confined spaces, machinery entanglement, chemical exposure, electrical contact, fire and large animal incidents. For each hazard on your farm, write down in general terms how you prevent it and who you call.

Do not write rescue steps into your plan from memory. Point to official guidance from OSHA, NIOSH, extension and your local fire and rescue service, and arrange hands-on training for anyone who may be expected to respond.

How do you include workers, children and visitors?

Hired and seasonal workers may not speak English as a first language or know the local area. Provide the plan in the languages your crew uses, and review it in person. Children should know how to call 911 and give the address, and they should know which areas are off limits.

Visitors, delivery drivers and custom operators also benefit from a short briefing about where to go and who to call. A posted sign near the main entrance is a simple start.

What should you do after something has happened?

After an emergency, review what worked and what did not, once everyone is calm and safe. A near miss deserves the same attention as an injury, because it shows where the plan has a gap. Ask people what they saw, what confused them and what would have helped.

Update the plan based on what you learn, and share the changes. If your operation has employees, ask OSHA or your state occupational safety program whether any reporting or recordkeeping requirements apply after an injury. Those rules vary by state and by the size of the operation, so confirm them with the official body rather than relying on general advice.

Do not overlook the emotional side. Serious incidents affect families and crews for a long time. Encourage people to talk, and see the official sites for support options. In the US, people can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if someone is struggling.

• Hold a calm debrief after any incident or near miss.
• Update and redistribute the plan.
• Confirm any reporting rules with OSHA or your state.
• Check in on how people are doing.

How do you keep the plan alive?

Review the plan at least once a year and after any big change, such as new buildings, new workers or a change of phone number. Hold a short practice and talk through one realistic scenario. Ask what slowed people down, then fix that.

Keep the plan where it can be found quickly, and replace outdated pages so nobody follows old information.

A plan that lives in a binder nobody opens will not help. Put the one-page summary on the fridge, in the shop and in each main vehicle, and keep the longer version somewhere easy to reach.

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