ContentBox RSS Feed https://www.cstcsafety.com/ Ortus Solutions, Corp (www.ortussolutions.com) http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification FeedGenerator Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:13:49 GMT Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:13:49 GMT Harvest Season Is Busy — Don’t Let Safety Compliance Get Overlooked Harvest season is one of the busiest times of year for California agriculture. With equipment running, crews working long hours, and operations moving at full speed, it can also be a time when workplace safety issues are easier to overlook. At the same time, Cal/OSHA enforcement doesn’t slow down just because harvest is underway. California Safety Training Corporation (CSTC) has worked with clients during harvest season to help identify and address potential compliance concerns before they lead to an employee injury, Cal/OSHA citation, or costly disruption to operations. What Are We Looking For During a Safety Audit? Our field and facility safety inspections focus primarily on Cal/OSHA compliance and conditions that have the potential to result in serious injuries or serious citations. Rather than concentrating on routine HR or employee-file administration, our safety professionals look at what is actually happening in the workplace. Some of the areas we may evaluate include: Equipment and machine guarding Harvest equipment and field operations Employee safety training and safe work practices Written safety programs and required procedures Hazard identification and correction Conditions or practices that could contribute to a serious employee injury Observable Cal/OSHA compliance issues Applicable food-safety-related conditions when they overlap with workplace safety Whether established safety procedures are actually being followed in the field This boots-on-the-ground approach can be especially valuable during harvest, when equipment use, staffing levels, working conditions, and production demands may be very different from the rest of the year. Finding the Problem Before Cal/OSHA Does One of the most valuable questions an employer can ask is: “If Cal/OSHA walked onto our property today, what would they see?” A written safety program is important, but having a program on paper doesn’t necessarily mean the practices in the field match it. For example, an employer may have procedures covering machine guarding, employee training, heat illness prevention, or equipment operation. But if an employee removes a guard, a supervisor allows an unsafe practice to continue, required training isn’t being applied, or a hazardous condition goes uncorrected, the employer may still have significant exposure. An outside safety inspection provides another set of trained eyes to look at your operation from a compliance and injury-prevention perspective. It’s About More Than Avoiding Citations The goal of a safety audit shouldn’t simply be to prepare for Cal/OSHA. The bigger goal is identifying conditions that could seriously hurt someone. Many significant workplace incidents can be connected to hazards involving equipment, guarding, training, procedures, or unsafe practices that could potentially have been identified beforehand. Finding those issues early gives employers an opportunity to correct them before someone gets hurt. Start With One Field or Facility A comprehensive safety program doesn’t have to begin with a long-term contract. CSTC can start with a one-time field, facility, or harvest equipment safety inspection. This gives your organization an opportunity to see what we identify, review our recommendations, and determine whether additional services would provide value. Depending on the size and scope of the operation, CSTC can perform individual site inspections or more extensive audits that include a detailed written report. For agricultural operations in the middle of harvest, even one proactive inspection can provide valuable insight into conditions that may otherwise go unnoticed during the busiest part of the year. A Trusted Safety Partner Since 1985 California Safety Training Corporation has been helping employers protect their workers and improve workplace safety for more than 40 years. Our approach is practical: identify hazards, explain the compliance concern, and help employers determine what needs to be corrected. Because at the end of the day, compliance matters — but everyone deserves to go home safe. Is Your Operation Ready for a Safety Check? If you’re in the middle of harvest or simply haven’t had an outside set of eyes evaluate your operation recently, now may be a good time. Contact California Safety Training Corporation (CSTC) to discuss a field, facility, or harvest equipment safety inspection. CSTC Safety 661-377-8300 Since 1985 — helping California employers build safer workplaces. https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/harvest-season-is-busy-dont-let-safety-compliance-get-overlooked Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:02:00 GMT tlav@cstcsafety.com (Terra Laverty) Agriculture Ben IV Laverty Business Safety Check Cal/OSHA Did you know? Field Audit Harvest Lockout Tagout New Laws and Regulations OSHA PASI Program Audit Safety Inspection Workplace Violence https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/harvest-season-is-busy-dont-let-safety-compliance-get-overlooked Effective January 1, 2023: CA Overtime Rate Change for Agricultural Employees Working for Employers who Employ 25 or Fewer Employees Effective date for employers with 26 or more employees: Effective date for employers with 25 or fewer employees: Overtime (1.5x regular rate of pay) required after the following hours per day/hour per work week: January 1, 2019 January 1, 2022 9.5 / 55 January 1, 2020 January 1, 2023 9 / 50 January 1, 2021 January 1, 2024 8.5 / 45 January 1, 2022* January 1, 2025 8 / 40 *double the regular rate of pay required after 12 hours in a workday. Effective January 1, 2023, California’s overtime rate for ag employees working for employers who employ 25 or fewer employees will change. Ag Employers with 25 or fewer employees will be required to pay overtime for all hours after an agricultural employee works over 9 hours in a day or over 50 hours in a week. The new requirements are part of the AB 1066 passed by legislature in 2016, this created a timetable for Ag workers to receive overtime pay so that they will gradually receive overtime pay on the same basis as workers in most other industries. https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/effective-january-1-2023-ca-overtime-rate-change-for-agricultural-employees-working-for-employers Fri, 30 Dec 2022 19:28:00 GMT tlav@cstcsafety.com (Terra Laverty) Agriculture https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/effective-january-1-2023-ca-overtime-rate-change-for-agricultural-employees-working-for-employers Agricultural workers have been known to work long hours traditionally from sunrise to sunset. There is no denying that working at night presents unique hazards that would not typically exist during the day. Night work or “hours of darkness” is defined as agricultural work activity that takes place between sunset and sunrise. Effective July 2020, GISO §3449, requires agricultural employers to evaluate each outdoor worksite to ensure that adequate lighting is available during hours of darkness, and operations taking place between sunset and sunrise are illuminated to ensure safe work and visibility. The illumination levels are dependent on the operation and task being performed, which is outlined below in Table 1 – Illumination Levels. Cal/OSHA uses the reference to foot-candles and lumens which are both units of measuring light. For example, Workers must have a minimum illumination of 10 foot-candles when working within 25 feet of operating tractors, trucks, self-propelled or towed equipment. It is also required that safety meetings conducted at the beginning of each shift include how to safely access restrooms, drinking water, designated break areas, nearby bodies of water and high traffic areas. Class 2 high visibility garments must also be provided and worn by workers. Table 1 Foot-Candles Lux Operations Areas or Tasks 0.09-0.19 1-2 Poultry harvesting or catching operations. 3 32.29 Meeting area and meal/rest area. 5 53.82 Outdoor agricultural operations except where otherwise specified in this table. Pathways leading to and around restrooms and drinking water. Inside restroom facilities. Storage areas accessed by employees. 10 107.64 Intermittently exposed or exposed point of operation equipment, covered under Group 8. Points of Operation and Other Hazardous Parts of Machinery. Operationally visible moving parts of machinery covered under Group 6. Power Transmission, Prime Movers, and Machine Parts of the General Industry Safety Orders. Task lighting for agricultural operations that involve the use of tools that can Potentially cause cuts, lacerations, or punctures. 20 215.30 Task lighting for maintenance work on equipment. For more information and to schedule an inspection with CSTC® call us at 661-377-8300 or email biv@cstcsafety.com. https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/night-work-in-agriculture Wed, 09 Mar 2022 20:49:00 GMT tlav@cstcsafety.com (Terra Laverty) Agriculture https://www.cstcsafety.com/blog/night-work-in-agriculture