For many in the Dairy Industry this is the "dry" time.  Before calving starts there is a bit more flexibility in the day, new season targets are set and people have finished the move after annual gypsy day.

There is still many things that need to be done and the list of "when we are dry" jobs never seems to get sorted before the first calf is on the ground.  This is for those that had the "get a HnS system" in place on the list.   You don't need one.

If you have been farming for more than 12 months you already have a HnS system.  Odds are you know who comes onto the farm and when.  You don't want people to get hurt and you certainly want to make sure that the time and effort in recruitment is not lost with injury.  The thing you maybe lacking is the record keeping around that.  Writing down what you are thinking/planning and what you have done to keep people safe is a huge chunk of that.  

Don't make it complicated (we have seen the 14 page HnS plolicies - they are read as much as your unwritten one!).  Say what you want to do (keep people safe); how you will do that (only have authorised people on farm) and share it (notebook at shed/flipchart/electronic).

We like to think of your HnS as a vechile.  Sometimes you start with a push bike, move to an Ag100 and over time a toyota corrolla.  When you have been updating it and doing it a while, your staff are actively involved, contractors engage with you and it is all documented -  it may become a Lexus.  

There are Rolls Royce systems out there you can pay thousands for - but they are not useful if they stay in the garage.

• Say what you will do
  • document it somehow
• Do what you say you will do
  • if you say no children - enforce it
  • if you have a max speed on farm - enforce it
  • if you want everyone to be well rested - record time off
  • if you get new staff - check that they can use YOUR tractor, bike etc 
• Prove that you have done it
• make notes when you train people/assess them on your vechiles
• make a note when someone notices something to improve or areas of risk