Whether on the farm or in the house, the process for managing contractors for Moving Day is the same every time you use contractors on-farm. If this is your first time as a business owner then it is a great time to start practicing.
Checklist for contractors
Ensure you:
- Have clarified what it is you need / want the contractor to do
- Made clear where they will be going / working
- Advised them of anything they wouldn’t expect that would be a risk to them
- Advised of other activity on farm that could pose a risk to them
- Determined what they are going to be doing, what risks that poses to others and how we are going to manage and communicate those risks
- Advised them of farm rules (e.g. speed limits) and expectations of behaviour
- Advised them of any relevant emergency procedures
- Determined appropriate time in/ time out reporting
- Got contact details
- Made notes on what you have told them
- Have agreed costs
If necessary, you should:
- Print/send electronic copy and mark-up a farm map
Resources to help
Tips and tricks
- Have a standard letter that can be used as the base for all contractors when you do business with them outlining your expectations and risks they need to know about on your farm that they might not expect - see an example here.
- Use a prepared checklist to make sure you remember all the steps – see an example here.
- It is better to over-communicate rather than under-communicate. Written records such as email provide something you can both refer back to.
