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

For more information and to schedule an inspection with CSTC® call us at 661-377-8300 or email biv@cstcsafety.com.

Tractor accidents on farms cause the highest number of fatalities. Tractor turnovers accounting for 44 % of all tractor fatalities. Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) provide a safer environment for the tractor operator in the event of a rollover. Per CCR T8 §3651, where a recognized hazard exists, operator protection from falling or rolling objects shall be provided by either ROPS or other independent means compatible with the use of ROPS.

ROPS must also bear a label, the labeling must include the following information:

(1) Manufacturer's or fabricator's name and address;

(2) ROPS model number, if any;

(3) Tractor makes, models, or series numbers

that the structure is designed to fit;

(4) A statement of compliance with the appropriate

ASAE Standard or SAE Recommended Practice;

Labels shall be stamped plates or other permanently attached means of identification, and shall not be obscured, obliterated, or changed. CCR T8 §3651(d)(1-4)

In addition to proper labeling, remember operators must always wear their seatbelt when operating equipment where rollover protection is installed.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a Program Audit and Safety Inspection with California Safety Training Corporation®, Contact us at 661.377.8300!

Don’t forget to fill out, submit(as required) and post(Form 300A only) your OSHA 300 logs February 1 – April 30.  Forms can be found at https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/forms.

Recordables are an illness that is work-related and result in one of the following:

• Death
• Days away from work
• Restricted work or transfer to another job
• Medical treatment beyond first aid
• Loss of consciousness
• A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional.

The forms must be filled out even if no recordable illnesses have occurred.

Outdoor Workplace Challenges

If you are living in the warm climate of the San Joaquin/Central Valley of California, then heat illness is an environmental reality.  This week the temperatures are over 95 degrees which is the “high heat” threshold for several California regulatory requirements including a morning tailgate meeting to encourage workers to drink enough water(see below CSTC’s email tailgate).  Companies must provide 1 quart per person per hour throughout the day.  If you are working 10 hours this could be accomplished by having a 2.5 gallon insulated jug with procedures for replenishment.  Employers must also provide a 10 minute cool down recovery period for every 2 hours worked in temperatures over 95 degrees. 

For us at CSTC we utilize an email to communicate to our instructors/inspectors for the tailgate reminder.  For complete requirements see Cal/OSHA Title 8 3395.

Have a great and safe day!

First blog of 2021 and I’m avoiding another Covid-19 compliance discussion.  So, I asked my good friend Tricia Bland, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, with several decades of professional experience:  What should I eat to help me resist the Covid-19 virus?
She sent me 2 short pages containing 7 herbs and 8 food sources which can help boost your resistance and reduce inflammation.  Some of my daily favorites on the list are cinnamon and almonds which made me feel great about some of my diet…:)  If you want to get more information, please reach out to Tricia at www.triciabland.com. 
 
For me, the formula for success has been diet (healthy breakfast) , daily exercise (walking or gardening count), sleep (at least 7 hours) and stress management (10 minutes of meditation).  Hope this helps!
 
Have a great and safe 2021!

Ben Laverty IV

The Best Herbs for Reducing Inflammation

Anti-Inflammatory Meal Planning

Cal/OSHA has been visiting worksites and asking for and or utilizing the general checklist attached to enforce COVID-19 protocols.  Please see the link for the Cal/OSHA Ag checklist specific to COVID-19 and note that when the CSTC worksite specific document (see link) is utilized with the IIPP topic (see link) then the checklist items are addressed.

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Checklist for Ag

IIPP-CSP COVID-19 Update 6.25.20

Worksite Specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan Checklist

We are here to support you.  Please reach out to any of our staff.

Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

CSTC Team

Two weeks ago I did a Zoom meeting presentation on COVID-19 for my business networking group here in Hawaii.  After sharing the PowerPoint with Ben (my brother and colleague), he thought it would be great to share with all of you.  If you would like to talk about any of the information in the slides or want further details of the presentation, please reach out to me.  I would love to share and chat. 

CSTC COVID-19 TLAV 5.2020

Stay Safe!  Stay Healthy!

We are all in this together!

95° + temperatures have hit in the Central Valley.  We are updating Heat Illness Prevention Programs to incorporate Covid-19 precautions. In this blog we are focusing on two specific areas: water and shade.

First, I’d like to address water as everyone needs to be consuming adequate fluids, especially when the weather is hot. It’s important to follow personal hygiene and sanitization practices for commonly touched surfaces.  Igloo jugs to fill single use cups will need to be monitored and sanitized appropriately.  Even the single use water bottles will need to be handled with proper personal hygiene caution. As always, make sure you are providing sufficient quantities of cooled fresh water at 1 quart per person per hour in the workplace.

Preventative recovery rest breaks is the next area to be addressed.  Shaded rest areas must be provided.  For every two hours worked employees must be provided with a preventative rest period of at least 10 minutes. Employers must take additional measures to be sure that employees can take a break in a shaded area while obeying social distancing of 6 feet.

Employees should be trained to keep 6 feet of social distance during breaks and transportation to prevent infection.

In California, Cal/OSHA will continue to enforce regulations associated with COVID-19 and hazards associated with the workplace including heat illness and other applicable hazards. Please review your Heat Illness Prevention programs with a review of your specific COVID-19 procedures. 

Please contact us if we can help you in adjusting your plans accordingly.

Essential Industries with an employee who tests positive for COVID-19

1. Isolate sick worker from other employees.
2. Inform other employees while protecting privacy under HIPAA laws.
3. Perform a contact tracing of the employee at your workplace for the previous 14 days including contractors and suppliers who may have been in close contact* with the infected worker.
4. Sanitize surfaces which the worker may have touched including tools and transportation.
5. Monitor employees who were potentially exposed. Ask daily about symptoms and potential exposures. Train employees to inform you if any symptoms appear while working and isolate any employee who has symptoms. Consider monitoring temperatures of employees.
6. If contact tracing indicates the employee was exposed while working then recording (worker comp) and reporting to Cal/OSHA if the illness leads to a fatality, in-patient hospitalization or disfigurement.
7. Review your companies code of safe practice for COVID-19 and review your infectious disease management plan and update as needed.

** Data is limited to define of close contact. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity (within 6 feet), the duration of exposure (e.g., longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the individual has symptoms (e.g., coughing likely increases exposure risk) and whether the individual was wearing a facemask (which can efficiently block respiratory secretions from contaminating others and the environment).

Sources: Cal/OSHA, CDC, OSHA, CA DHS and HHS