1. Ten Steps Needed to Develop and Implement a Farm Based Safety Program
Mike Keenan
Senior Ag Safety Consultant

2. Why do we need a safety program?

3. Cost of Work Related Injuries
Average work comp claim on dairies cost is over $11,000
Lost Time Injuries 30%
Medical Only 65%
Record Only 5%
Agri Services Agency Data Jan – Jan

4. Cost of Work Related Injuries
Cost of Work Comp claims is only part of the story
True cost is typically % higher
Lost productivity
Retraining
Cost of replacing the injured employee
Morale
Community Image
Damaged equipment
Administrative time
Lost opportunity cost
Increase in insurance rates

5. What is the solution?

6. #1 Create a Company Culture of Safety
Reflect your core values
Make it Personal
Part of your core mission
Use positive direction
It’s about people not compliance

7. #2 Identify Your Loss Drivers
Get loss runs from your insurance carrier
Understand Frequency vs. Severity
Look at near misses
Look at your Mod Rating
Below 1.0 is better than average
Above 1.0 worse than average
OSHA 300 log
Ag Industry Total Days Away Restricted or Transferred is 3.2 days per hundred employees
Ag Industry Total Recordable Injury Rate is 5.5 per hundred employees
By comparison construction DART rate is 2.1 and total injuries 3.7. Construction has the most injuries of any industry but has many more employees
Agriculture is statistically the most dangerous occupation
Dairy is on Par with all of Agriculture

8. #3 Identify Your Weaknesses
Use the data from #2
Ask your employees
Ask your self
Conduct a self audit walkthrough
Ask your insurance company for loss control assistance

9. #4 Identify your Strengths
Look at what you already do well
Personal Relationships
Protocols and standards
Frontline managers
Develop the strength you already have and relate them to your safety goals

10. #5 Identify and Empower your Safety Leaders
Look for those individuals that have a heart and passion for safety
Provide plenty of support and encouragement
Empower them to make a difference
Provide them with the necessary resources
Priority
Time
Dollars
Training

11. #6 Make Safety a Part of How We Work
Safety is not a separate function
It’s not about compliance it is about what we do and how we do it well
Every process that is done efficiently and correctly is done safely

12. #7 Hold Everyone Accountable
Safety starts at the top
Managers must always demonstrate safe behaviors and never excuse unsafe behaviors
Always provide encouragement first
Recognize positive behavior more than negative
Empower everyone to speak up and hold each other accountable

13. #8 Train Your Staff Safety orientation on day one
Make it a priority from the start
Set expectations
Ask questions make sure they understand
Follow up 30, 60, and 90 days
Pair Mentors and Trainees
Use specific examples that relate to what the employees do and what they know
Focus on exposures and behaviors not compliance

14. #9 Revaluate Claims History OSHA recordable rate Survey employees
Feed back from Managers
Third Party Audits

15. #10 Keep your program growing
We are in agriculture we know how to do this better than anybody
Get it started
Cultivate it
Give it good care
Feed it well
Harvest the rewards

16. Mike Keenan Senior Ag Safety Consultant Arthur J Gallagher Co
Mike Keenan Senior Ag Safety Consultant Arthur J Gallagher Co