Barn Safety Tips: Plan Ahead to Improve Your Chances of a Positive Outcome

to the floors below should also have railings. It is safer however to store hay and straw in a separate building away from the main barn due to its fire risk. Know how to stack hay properly to reduce chances of combustion and check your hay stack regularly for heat. Make sure hay straw bedding and other flammable materials are placed well away from heat sources.
Keep aisle ways clean and free of clutter which can quickly become hazardous in an emergency. Wheelbarrows forks and brooms hay and feed buckets and tack should be stored elsewhere. Halters and leads should be kept neatly on wall hooks not left on the floor where a horses foot could become tangled in them. Provide garbage cans so waste can easily be thrown away. Chemicals paint pesticides gasoline or other potentially toxic or flammable materials should be stored well away from the barn.
Keep feeds and grains in a separate secure room where horses cannot gain access. A loose horse able to gorge on feed may colic or founder. Feed should be kept in sealed rodentproof containers such as metal garbage cans which will keep the feed fresh longer and free from contamination. Any medications or supplements should be kept out of reach of horses and children such as in a lockable cabinet or a high shelf.
Wash stalls crossties and grooming areas should also be kept free of debris. Keep hoses coiled neatly on wall hangers. Crossties should have quick release snaps or have snaps attached using materials that will easily break if a horse spooks and pulls back twine or leather string work well. Any electrical outlets or switches in wash stalls bathrooms or other wet areas should be GFI grounds fault interrupter type to protect against electrical shock.
If your barn has a lounge or an area with a microwave kettle coffee maker etc. make sure these appliances are unplugged when not in use.
No smoking in the barn! Have strict rules banning smoking lighters and matches and post no smoking signs in visible locations.
Outside the barn trim back vegetation well away from the side of the barn and other buildings to act as a fire break. Any clutter around the yard in paddocks or in pasture such as old boards metal siding or garbage should be removed. Gutters with appropriately placed downspouts can divert water from areas where moisture or mud could be an issue.