Grain Guide 2018

Measuring your safety status Farm security is a very relevant theme that should be visited regularly. Measure yourself against these questions and do something about the weaknesses. Being alert, observant and prepared will definitely help at the point when you need it the most. Your immediate environment  Is the security fence still effective in combating undesirable access?  Are the security doors and gates and burglar bars of your houses still effective and adequate?  Is there a security gate in your home that can effectively separate the bedrooms from the rest of the house and do you lock this gate at night?  Do you have a dog that sleeps in the house at night?  Are the security lights and alarm system still effective and in working order?  Are the guard dogs and alternative warning mechanisms still effective?  Are the areas around your gates and at T junctions open so that a surprise attack is difficult to launch?  Is your garden laid out in such a way that there are no easy hiding places? Visitors/strangers  Do you have a protocol in place to deal with, for example, uninvited visitors who come looking for work?  Do you have a protocol in place to check and verify the identification of uninvited and invited visitors?  Are you always on the lookout for strangers on your farm?  Will your employees report strangers and strange vehicles on your farm?  Do you approach all strangers with the necessary caution? (You never know whether they are armed or not.) Communication  Do you have alternative communication systems in addition to the landline or per­ sonal cellphones? (For example, contact with the neighbours and the police or a hidden cellphone in a room?)  Do your and your family‘s cellphones, as well as the hidden cellphone, contain a list of whom to contact in the case of an incident?  Do you inform the community of possible suspect persons or vehicles in the area? Emergency plan  Is there an emergency plan for different incidents and does everybody know what to do when?  Do you, your family and workers still apply the safety measures and do you practise the emergency plan regularly?  Is there an early warning system for your farm and is it still effective?  Do you tend to follow a specific routine, for example, do you always stop in the same place when you come from town? General  Are you still alert and prepared? Do you attend to the small things that do not ap­ pear right, and do you know what to do?  Do you have unique plans to ensure your safety and to outsmart criminals? Employees  Is the attitude of your employees such that they will protect your family if you are not there?  Do you handle as little cash as possible and do your workers know that there is no real cash in the house or office? These are only a few questions to get you thinking. Each producer’s circumstances in farming are unique, so draw up your own list and be alert and prepared! Pietman Botha, agricultural consultant 20 GRAIN GUIDE 2018 Relevant