Why is record-keeping important in agriculture?

Do you sometimes feel like you're drowning in paperwork? Overwhelmed with the amount of documents you have to keep?

We get it. It’s exhausting to keep track of it all.

But in agriculture, it's an important necessity. Keeping up-to-date and accurate records will not only save you time and stress, but you'll also be addressing your work health and safety responsibilities too.

Think of it as a useful risk management tool for your agribusinesses.

By ensuring you have the right up-to-date policies and procedures in place, you’re creating a safer workplace. Among those records, there should be a full set of new staff induction, current staff training updates and ensuring you meet insurance requirements.

Keeping accurate records in farming also allows you to check the health and safety performance of your business and make improvements where necessary.

Naturally, the size and scale of your business will determine the detail and extent of recording you'll need to make, but even a basic register of safety policies and induction records is a good place to start.

To learn more about record keeping in agriculture, visit our page at Safe Ag Systems.

What records do you need to keep?

Work out what records are compulsory for your individual operation and develop a system to keep these updated regularly. Some records to keep are:

• Safety reporting procedures - any incidents and injuries, including near misses. This will help you determine actions to improve and prevent reoccurrences.
• Hazardous chemicals on site and an asbestos register if there is any at your workplace.
• Registration documents for machinery.
• Testing, maintenance and inspection details for specific types of equipment.
• Hazard identification, risk assessment and control processes you have in place at your workplace. This is particularly useful in showing you are actively keeping your workplace safe by being proactive.
• Training and inductions for workers and contractors
• Employment/worker records including general records, pay and hours worked, leave, superannuation and tax

There are many resources available to farm businesses, make use of these and seek professional help if needed. Back up your files into a master document regularly. Keep this as a separate copy to your everyday files.

This is your insurance against any issues occurring with your farm records. Better to be safe than sorry with these important files.

To learn more about record keeping in agriculture, visit our page at Safe Ag Systems.