Why is working alone a risk?
If you are hurt and nobody knows, the delay before help arrives can turn a manageable injury into a life-threatening one. Entanglement, falls, livestock injuries and medical emergencies all carry more risk when no one else is around.
The point is not to stop working alone, which is a fact of farm life, but to make sure someone knows your plans and can find you.
If you have no one nearby, think about who might be your contact: a neighbor, a family member in town, a farm group friend or a feed store owner who sees you often. Even a brief call each morning and evening is enough.
What is a check-in system?
A check-in system is an agreement with a person you trust to expect a call, text or visit at set times. If you miss a check-in, they know to look for you. Keep it simple enough that you will follow it every day.
Tell them where you will work and roughly when you will finish. Update them if plans change.
Share the plan with the person who will receive the calls, and agree on what counts as an emergency. Make sure they have your phone number, address and a map of your property.
- Pick a trusted contact or two
- Set times that fit your day
- Agree what happens if you miss one
- Write the plan down
What if you miss a check-in?
Decide ahead who calls you first, who goes to look, when to call 911 and where they should search. Give them directions, gate codes and a rough route for the day.
A short written plan stuck to the fridge or shared by text gets rid of guesswork, particularly when someone else has to act under stress.
Leave a note or text with your route when you go into woods, pastures or remote fields. A simple note that says where you are and when you will be back is a good habit.
What communication tools help?
Test your phone coverage in each work area. A two-way radio, a satellite messenger or a personal alert device may help where the cell signal is weak. A device is only useful if you carry it on your body, not in the truck.
Some devices detect falls or crashes and send a message automatically. Ask your extension office or a safety organization for ideas, and test devices regularly.
Test every device on a normal day, not only in an emergency. Batteries die, signals drop, and the time to find out is before you need help.
- Carry your phone on your body
- Check signal in barns and fields
- Test radios and messengers regularly
- Keep spare chargers or batteries
What routines lower the risk?
Plan the riskiest jobs, such as climbing, cutting trees, working with big animals or in grain bins and manure pits, for times when others are present. Do not take shortcuts when no one is watching.
Keep first aid supplies in vehicles and shops, and wear gear even for quick jobs.
Take extra care with tasks that involve crushing, fire, falls and animals. If you must do them alone, make sure someone knows when you start and finish.
How do you include older adults and teens?
Older farmers and teens are often alone. Add a daily call or visit. Make sure everyone knows the plan, and that teens never work in dangerous situations alone.
If someone has a health condition, consider medical alert devices. Talk to their doctor and family.
Keep lists of family, doctors and medications in an envelope near the door so that anyone who finds you can share them with responders.
What about stress and isolation?
Long solitary work can wear on mental health. If you feel hopeless or overwhelmed, reach out. In the US you can call or text 988 at any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Talking with a neighbor, a doctor or a counselor can help.
Checking in with each other is also a way to stay connected, not just a safety system.
Neighbors are the best safety system in the country. Offer to be a check-in partner for someone else, and the arrangement becomes a mutual one.
- Call or text 988 any time
- Talk to a trusted friend or neighbor
- Ask your doctor about support
- Keep regular contact with people
Key takeaways
- Make sure at least one person knows where you are and when you will return.
- Agree on what happens when a check-in is missed.
- Carry a working phone or other device on your body.
- Save risky jobs for when others are around.
- If you feel overwhelmed, call or text 988.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Rural Farm Life Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.