Preventive measures to keep your farm safe
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
When it comes to farm safety, prevention is better than cure.
Thinus Pretorius, chairman of the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO), gives elementary prevention measures that farmers can apply on their farms to ensure a certain degree of safety on a daily basis.
The most prominent advice is to have communication networks in place. It is imperative to join networks and forums, such as WhatsApp groups or radio networks in the area, to improve communication with the outside world.
“Here you can, in case of emergency, quickly ask for help. The bigger your support network, the better you are geared to handle any emergency,” says Pretorius.
The presence of the Joint Crime Prevention Forums in all the regions is also vital in this instance.
“In the event of a farm attack, the law states very clearly that you have the right to protect your life and the lives of your loved ones from minimum violence.”
However, prevention remains better than cure.
Safety tips include being prepared, knowing your surroundings and being aware of any changes. Aids such as security fences, alarms, movement-sensitive lights, dogs, and burglar bars should be installed in strategic places.
Farmers are also advised to keep relationships with employees on a healthy footing. They should express misunderstandings, and if they do not resolve the problem, further legal action should be taken.
Farm gates should be locked every night before sunset.
Every farm must also have an emergency plan in place, because every farm setup and routine is different, so each farmer must compile a unique emergency plan for their farm.
The Joint Crime Prevention Forum proposed an example of such a plan, which can be requested from the Namibian Agricultural Union's offices.
WINDHOEK
When it comes to farm safety, prevention is better than cure.
Thinus Pretorius, chairman of the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO), gives elementary prevention measures that farmers can apply on their farms to ensure a certain degree of safety on a daily basis.
The most prominent advice is to have communication networks in place. It is imperative to join networks and forums, such as WhatsApp groups or radio networks in the area, to improve communication with the outside world.
“Here you can, in case of emergency, quickly ask for help. The bigger your support network, the better you are geared to handle any emergency,” says Pretorius.
The presence of the Joint Crime Prevention Forums in all the regions is also vital in this instance.
“In the event of a farm attack, the law states very clearly that you have the right to protect your life and the lives of your loved ones from minimum violence.”
However, prevention remains better than cure.
Safety tips include being prepared, knowing your surroundings and being aware of any changes. Aids such as security fences, alarms, movement-sensitive lights, dogs, and burglar bars should be installed in strategic places.
Farmers are also advised to keep relationships with employees on a healthy footing. They should express misunderstandings, and if they do not resolve the problem, further legal action should be taken.
Farm gates should be locked every night before sunset.
Every farm must also have an emergency plan in place, because every farm setup and routine is different, so each farmer must compile a unique emergency plan for their farm.
The Joint Crime Prevention Forum proposed an example of such a plan, which can be requested from the Namibian Agricultural Union's offices.
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