On a busy farm, health and safety can quickly slip down the priority list.
Agricultural businesses are busy, practical and constantly changing. One day the focus may be livestock, the next it may be machinery, harvest, contractors, seasonal workers, visitors or maintenance work.
With so much happening day to day, health and safety can sometimes become reactive rather than proactive. Often, it is only revisited when there is a problem, inspection or accident.
You may already have policies in place. You may have risk assessments saved somewhere. Staff may have been trained when they first started. But when was everything last reviewed properly?
That is where a farm health and safety audit can be useful.
A health and safety audit is not about catching you out or creating unnecessary paperwork. It is a structured review of your current health and safety arrangements, helping you understand what is already working well, what may need attention and where improvements could be made.
So, what does a farm health and safety audit actually cover?
Looking at how health and safety is managed on your farm
A farm health and safety audit will usually start by looking at how health and safety is currently managed across the business.
This may include reviewing whether responsibilities are clear, whether your health and safety policy is up to date, and whether staff know who to speak to if they have a concern.
On farms, responsibilities can sometimes be informal because teams often work closely together and know the business well. However, as farms grow, diversify, employ more staff, use more contractors or bring in seasonal workers, clear arrangements become increasingly important.
An audit may look at whether your current health and safety arrangements reflect how the farm actually operates, rather than simply checking whether documents exist.
Risk assessments and safe working practices
Risk assessments are often one of the main areas reviewed during a health and safety audit.
This does not necessarily mean that new risk assessments will be completed as part of the audit. Instead, the audit may cover whether your existing risk assessments are suitable, up to date and relevant to the work being carried out.
For an agricultural business, this may include risks linked to:
- Machinery and equipment
- Vehicles and workplace transport
- Livestock handling
- Working at height
- Slurry, pits, lagoons and confined spaces
- Chemicals, pesticides and hazardous substances
- Manual handling
- Lone working
- Children, visitors and members of the public
- Seasonal workers and casual labour
- Contractors working on site
- Slips, trips and falls
- Noise, dust and respiratory risks
- Stress, fatigue and long working hours
The aim is to identify whether key risks have been considered and whether appropriate control measures are in place.
Machinery, vehicles and equipment
Machinery and vehicles are central to farm work, but they also carry significant risks.
A health and safety audit may review how machinery, equipment and vehicles are managed, including whether checks, servicing and maintenance records are in place.
This could include tractors, telehandlers, ATVs, trailers, forklifts, workshop tools, lifting equipment, ladders and other specialist equipment used across the farm.
The audit may also look at whether staff are trained and authorised to use equipment, whether guards and safety features are in place, and whether defects are being reported and acted on.
For many farms, this area is especially important because equipment is often used by different people, across different sites, and during busy periods when time pressures are high.
Staff training and awareness
Having policies and risk assessments in place is important, but they only work if people understand them.
A farm health and safety audit may look at staff training records and how health and safety information is shared with the team.
This could include checking whether employees, family workers, casual staff and seasonal workers have received appropriate training for the work they are doing.
It may also consider whether refresher training is needed, whether supervisors understand their responsibilities, and whether health and safety information is communicated clearly to people who may be new to the farm or only working there for a short period of time.
Training does not always need to be complicated, but it does need to be relevant, recorded and understood.
Contractors, visitors and third parties
Health and safety responsibilities do not stop with employees.
Many farms regularly have contractors, vets, delivery drivers, advisors, inspectors, visitors or members of the public on site. Some farms may also have footpaths, open days, farm shops, holiday lets, events or other diversification activities.
A health and safety audit may look at how these people are managed and whether responsibilities are clear.
This could include site rules, visitor sign-in arrangements, contractor information, induction procedures, access routes, parking, signage and communication between businesses working on the same site.
Where contractors are carrying out higher-risk work, such as building maintenance, electrical work, roofing, machinery repairs or tree work, it is especially important that expectations and responsibilities are clearly understood.
Accident, incident and near-miss reporting
Another important area an audit may cover is how accidents, incidents and near misses are recorded and reviewed.
On farms, near misses can easily be brushed off as “just one of those things”, especially when no one is injured. However, recording and reviewing them can help identify patterns and prevent more serious incidents in the future.
An audit may look at whether your reporting process is clear, whether staff know how to report concerns, and whether incidents are followed up properly.
It may also consider whether any reportable incidents have been handled correctly and whether lessons learned have been shared with the wider team.
Fire safety and emergency planning
Depending on the nature of the audit, fire safety and emergency arrangements may also be reviewed.
This could include checking whether emergency procedures are clear, whether staff know what to do in the event of a fire or serious incident, and whether evacuation arrangements are suitable for the site.
On farms, emergency planning can be more complex because of multiple buildings, machinery, fuel, chemicals, livestock, remote locations and visitors who may not know the site.
The audit may also consider whether fire checks, alarm tests, emergency lighting, extinguishers and evacuation procedures are being recorded appropriately where relevant.
Workplace environment and welfare
A farm health and safety audit may also look at the working environment itself.
This could include areas such as yards, workshops, storage areas, livestock buildings, offices, welfare facilities, chemical stores, access routes and general housekeeping.
Small issues can easily become bigger problems if they are not picked up early. For example, blocked walkways, poor lighting, unclear signage, trailing cables, unsafe storage or damaged surfaces may all increase the risk of accidents.
The audit helps identify practical improvements that could make the workplace safer, clearer and easier to manage.
Documentation and evidence
A key part of any health and safety audit is checking whether the right documents and records are in place.
This may include:
- Health and safety policy
- Risk assessments
- Training records
- Accident and incident records
- Equipment inspection records
- Machinery maintenance records
- Fire safety records
- Contractor information
- Chemical and COSHH records
- Workplace checklists
- Farm assurance-related health and safety evidence
Good documentation helps show that health and safety is being managed, reviewed and updated. It also makes it easier to identify gaps before they become problems.
For agricultural businesses, this can support staff management, contractor control and wider legal compliance.
A clear action plan
One of the most useful outcomes of a health and safety audit is a clear list of recommended actions.
This helps farm owners, managers and teams understand what needs attention, what should be prioritised and what can be planned for later.
A good audit should not leave you feeling overwhelmed. It should give you a clearer picture of where you are now and what steps you may need to take next.
For many agricultural businesses, the most valuable part of an audit is having an experienced, external perspective. It can highlight areas that may have been missed internally and provide reassurance around the things you are already doing well.
Why a farm health and safety audit is worth considering
A health and safety audit can help your farm move from a reactive approach to a more proactive one.
Instead of waiting until something goes wrong, an audit gives you the opportunity to review your arrangements, identify gaps and make practical improvements.
It can also support better planning, clearer responsibilities and greater confidence for farm owners, managers, employees and family members working within the business.
Health and safety does not have to be overcomplicated. For most farms, it is about having sensible, proportionate arrangements in place and making sure they are reviewed as the business changes.
Need support with farm health and safety?
If you are unsure whether your current health and safety arrangements are up to date, a farm health and safety audit can be a useful place to start.
CXCS can support agricultural businesses with a high-level review of current arrangements and help identify areas that may need further attention.
Whether you are growing your team, reviewing contractor arrangements, managing a busy working farm or simply want greater peace of mind, a health and safety audit can help you identify practical improvements and put sensible measures in place.
Please contact our Health & Safety team on 01981 590514 or email info@cxcs.co.uk. You can also find out more about our Health & Safety service on our website.