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Summer Farm Safety Checklist

Summer brings long hours, hot weather and children at home. This checklist focuses on the habits that protect people when the work is steady and the days are long.

How do you plan for hot weather?

Heat affects judgment and strength before people notice. Plan the hardest work for cooler parts of the day where you can, and set up shade and rest areas near the job. Provide plenty of drinking water and make it easy to reach.

Learn the warning signs of heat illness from a reliable source such as the CDC or NIOSH, and make sure everyone on the crew knows them. Heat illness can become an emergency. If someone seems confused, faint or very ill in the heat, call 911.

Plan ahead for the hottest days by rearranging jobs, adding workers or postponing tasks that can wait. A late start on a task costs less than an emergency.

Who is most at risk, and what helps?

New workers, older adults and people with certain health conditions or medicines can be more vulnerable to heat. People not used to the weather often need time to adjust before working a full day.

Check on each other. A buddy system, regular breaks and a culture where nobody is teased for resting make a difference. Ask a health professional about your own situation.

• Share the warning signs with the whole crew
• Schedule breaks and shaded rest
• Keep drinking water close to the work
• Ease new workers into full days
• Watch each other, not just yourself

What about sun, insects and skin?

Long outdoor hours add up. Hats, light long sleeves and sun protection reduce exposure, and shade helps. Ask a doctor about regular skin checks if you work outdoors for years.

Ticks and biting insects can carry illness. Check yourself after working in brush or pasture and talk to your health provider or local health department about prevention.

Wear sunglasses and keep cool, dry spare clothing on hand. Encourage everyone to speak up if they feel unwell rather than pushing through.

How do you stay safe around water and ponds?

Farm ponds, ditches, irrigation canals and manure storage can all be dangerous, especially to children. Fence or otherwise restrict access where you can and teach children not to play near them.

Supervise young children closely near any water. Water safety and swimming lessons from a recognized provider such as the American Red Cross are worth the time.

Check around ponds and canals for fencing, gates and warning signs, and keep children away from them. Ask the Red Cross about water safety and swimming courses for the whole family.

How do you handle long days and fatigue?

Summer harvest of hay and other crops can mean working late and early. Tired people make errors with machinery, road travel and animals. Plan shifts, share driving and stop when judgment slips.

Slow-moving vehicles on roads are a particular concern at dusk and dawn. Keep lights, reflectors and emblems clean and working, and follow your state's road rules.

Hay and straw baling, mowing and hauling all involve repeated hitching and unhitching. Slow down, and keep people clear of hitches and moving parts.

What should you do about storms and lightning?

Summer storms can build quickly. Check the National Weather Service forecast and warnings, and decide ahead of time where people will shelter. Do not wait in the open field or under isolated trees.

Stop work and move to safe shelter when severe weather approaches. Ask the NWS or your county emergency management office about local warning systems.

Livestock also feel the heat. Provide shade and clean water, and talk to your veterinarian about handling animals in hot weather, which can make people hurry and take risks. Keep a battery-powered weather radio or a phone alert app so warnings reach you in the field or the barn.

How do you keep children safe over the school break?

Children who are home all day need supervision and structure. Set up a safe play area away from machinery, animals and water, and assign an adult to watch.

Match tasks to ability and rules. Before giving any young person farm work, confirm what is permitted with the U.S. Department of Labor and your state, and consider youth safety programs such as those from the Progressive Agriculture Foundation.

Agree on a firm rule that children never ride on machines or wagons and never enter stored grain, hay lofts or livestock pens unsupervised. Explain why in a calm voice so it sticks. Teach children their address, how to call 911 and what to do if an adult is hurt and cannot respond.

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