Cal/OSHA has been visiting farms and agricultural facilities in the Central Valley and throughout California to enforce health orders related to COVID-19. Employers are encouraged to:
- Have your IIPP’s completely integrated with a COVID-19 comprehensive plan and practices;
- Track and maintain all steps taken and money spent on preventative programs, practices and workplace reconfigurations;
- Compile and maintain all training records and materials
- Track PPE training and use;
- Track daily communications and refreshers to crews that may not make it into your training records; and
- Constantly update all of the above!!!
Earlier this month, Governor Newsom formed “strike teams” comprised of 10 state agencies (including Cal/OSHA) to partner with local health agencies to enforce health orders related to coronavirus. Cal/OSHA and the Labor Commissioner’s Office have strategically targeted investigations in high-risk industries, where the state has seen the most workplace outbreaks.
Cal/OSHA issued a press release on July 16, 2020, urging employers to follow the state’s guidance on protecting workers from COVID-19. The press release can be found here. Since then, hundreds of state strike teams have fanned across California to check businesses, including farms, for violations of health mandates. Minimum fines for social distancing violations are being estimated at $5,000.
