Managing Agricultural Emergencies: Farm Family Emergency Response Program

  • Murphy, Dennis J.

WHAT IF...you were first to discover a family member in an emergency?

Person discovering tractor roll over accident

Would YOU know what to do?

Person holding injured persons hand
Farm Family Emergency Response is a program that teaches family members and farm employees how to make important decisions at the scene of a farm emergency.

Are YOU prepared?

Farming is an occupation that exposes workers to many hazards. The key to survival is not getting caught by these hazards. This program leads participants through various scenarios that forces them to think about typical injury incidents and to make informed decisions and reactions to them.

The "Farm Family Emergency Response Program" strives to prevent farm emergency incidents. Each module ends with a discussion of various preventive strategies. These strategies are intended to be implemented on the farm as part of the overall farm safety effort to make the work environment safer.

A Modular Approach

Twelve individual modules cover specific topics that are leading causes of farm injury or death. The modules are:

  • Tractor Overturns
  • PTO Entanglements
  • Machinery Entanglements
  • Grain Bin Emergencies
  • Silo Emergencies
  • Manure Storage Emergencies
  • Chemical Emergencies
  • Electrical Emergencies
  • Logging Emergencies
  • Yard Tool Emergencies
  • Livestock Emergencies
  • Reporting Emergencies


Person looking at jug with safety gloves on
Farm Family Emergency Response helps farm family members to use critical thinking to help solve problems.


photo of farm family emergency response program team
The Farm Family Emergency Response Program is ideal for farm groups of all ages.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

Farm Family Emergency Response is intended for all farm groups including farm managers, employees, spouses, and 4-H and FFA groups. Participation as a family or as a work group is encouraged.

Person building splint

TIME REQUIRED

From 15 to 45 minutes for each module. Typical presentations run from one and one-half to two hours. A full half day would be needed to include all the modules at one time. There is an opportunity to expand some of the course content. For example, first-aid and CPR training could be practiced as a part of the program.

Farm Family Emergency Response Program


It's a scene that occurs daily across North America.

Decisions and actions need to be made and implemented in a logical order....if not, you may cause further injury to the victim, or you risk injury or death to yourself. Know what to do so you don't become another victim . It's a scene that occurs daily across North America.

Person checking critical signs of person laying on the ground

You may be the critical link in the chain of survival.




For additional information on how to bring a Farm Family Emergency Response Program to your area, call or e-mail at the number or address below.

Pennsylvania State University
Agricultural Emergency Management Program
205 Agricultural Engineering Building
University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-2808
Fax: 814-863-1031
Email: deh27@psu.edu


Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More

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