Emergency Preparedness for Farmworkers - Emergency Action Plan (EAP) - Training - Agricultural Emergencies

Sep 23, 2026

Emergency preparedness guidance for farmworkers explains how employers and supervisors can reduce the impact of agricultural emergencies and disasters by developing, exercising, and regularly revising an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). It outlines how an EAP assigns employer and worker responsibilities before, during, and after incidents, covers natural and man-made emergency types, and specifies core plan elements such as escape procedures, accountability, reporting, and rescue duties. The material also emphasizes training in routes, communications, equipment, maps, supplies, and evacuation-related procedures, plus post-drill reviews and coordination with first responders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

What is an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)?

Agricultural Emergencies

Natural

Man-made

Training

Farm Exercises and Drills

Preplanning with First Responders

Medical Service and First Aid

# Emergency Preparedness for Farmworkers Farms,like most workplaces,face unexpected emergencies and disasters.Agriculturalemergencies and disasters can be natural or man-made.To help lessen the impact of theseevents,employers and supervisors should develop and exercise an emergency action plan thatprepares workers to react to and handle emergencies and disasters before they occur. # What is an Emergency ActionPlan (EAP)? How to Prepare an EmergencyAction Plan An emergency action plan identifies and organizes employer andworker responsibilities in preparation for and when responding to aworkplace emergency or disaster.Having a plan with the employer'ssupport and commitment and workers'participation is key to anorderly evacuation and quick response.Developing and implementingan EAP can lessen confusion,decrease injuries,and limit destructionof property during and after a disaster or other emergency. A well-documented EAP should ensure that emergency responseprocedures are established for before,during,and after anemergency.The plan should be broad enough to address all typesof emergencies or disasters that could possibly occur on the farm.For smaller organizations,the EAP does not need to be writtenand may be communicated orally.Nevertheless,it is always agood practice to have a written emergency action plan.The bestEAPs are customized for your specific farm operations and requiretime,thought and planning.Include workers and family membersin the emergency preparedness planning process to help identifyemergency or disaster situations that can impact the farm.The EAPshould be revised once shortcomings have become known,andreviewed at least annually.The employer should review the EAPwith each worker when: # Agricultural Emergencies ## Natural: ● tornadoes·severe winter storms ● hurricanes·severe dust storms ·wildfires·lightning strikes ● floods·earthquakes ·A new worker is hired ·The worker's workplaceresponsibilities or designatedactions under the plan change. ·The plan is developed ## Man-made: ·wildfires ·chemical releases or spills At a minimum,the EAP should include: ·explosions or fires ·amputations ·Emergency escape procedures and routes. ·animal handling incidents ·vehicle incidents (turnovers,rollovers) ·Procedures to account for workers. ·grain entrapments ·Procedures for workers who remain on site after the alarm sounds. ·power failures ·workplace violence ·Duties for workers designated to perform rescue andmedical functions. ·rotating and movingequipment incidents(Power take-off shafts,screw conveyors/augers) ·accidental poisoning ·The preferred means for reporting emergencies. ·Contact(s)for further information or explanation of duties underthe plan. ·Possible emergency events,incidents and ife-threating situations. # Training ·Emergency escape routes,shelter-in-place locations,andrally points. Worker training may vary from operation to operation.Someemployers set up formal classroom-style training for workers andothers work one-on-one with workers.If workers are expectedto perform adequately in an emergency,provision must be madefor the training of both individuals and teams.Regardless of thetraining approach,worker training is an important part of a goodemergency preparedness plan.Training should be conductedperiodically or as needed to maintain workplace preparedness.In addition,training and training materials should be providedto workers in a language that they understand,because someworkers may not speak English. ·Floor plans and workplace maps. ·A chain of command to prevent confusion and to coordinatethe work. ·Emergency communication equipment,such as two-wayradios or a public address system for workers and firstresponder notification. ·Special equipment needed for emergencies and disaster response. ·Workers'next-of-kin emergency phone numbers and contacts. ·Farm inventory that includes location of livestock,electricalshut-off locat

FAQs

What is the purpose of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for farmworkers?

An EAP identifies and organizes employer and worker responsibilities before and during a workplace emergency or disaster. A well-documented plan helps reduce confusion, decrease injuries, and limit property destruction by establishing response procedures before, during, and after an emergency.

What should an EAP include at a minimum?

An EAP should include emergency escape procedures and routes, procedures to account for workers, instructions for workers who remain on site after the alarm, rescue and medical duties for designated workers, and the preferred means for reporting emergencies. It should also address possible emergency events and provide contact information for further explanation.

How should training and drills be conducted under the plan?

Worker training should be provided periodically or as needed to maintain preparedness, including training that accounts for workers who may not speak English. Exercises and drills should be conducted annually or as needed to practice all or critical portions of the response plan, followed by meetings or reviews to evaluate what happened and how to improve it.

Sep 23, 2026

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