Health and Safety Rules

Fed-OSHA and NIOSH Develop Heat Safety Tool App

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed a real-time heat index app that helps employers and employees plan work around the heat. The app gives users hourly heat forecasts for individual locations and also provides safety and health recommendations on preventing heat illness.

The app could be especially useful to employers and farmworkers in California and Arizona who have been experiencing extreme heat conditions over the last couple of weeks.

Jeff Janas Jul 11 2017 in Health and Safety Rules

Register Now for July’s WG-Hosted Produce Safety Workshops

Western Growers and AgSafe are hosting a series of two-day workshops in July to assist fresh produce companies in meeting training requirements under the final FDA produce safety rule, “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption.”

During the first day, participants will have the opportunity to take the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Growers Training Course. During the second day, they will have the option to receive bilingual training on how to implement the FDA’s produce rule.

Stephanie Metzinger Jun 22 2017 in Regulations

Heat Illness Prevention Standard Refresher

With hot weather anticipated for the foreseeable future, California Ag employers should be sure that they are in compliance with the state’s Heat Illness Prevention (HIP) standard for outdoor employment before Cal/OSHA pays a visit. In fact, employers in all states would do well to have a Heat Illness Prevention Plan that includes the following:

Stephanie Metzinger Jun 15 2017 in Work Place Regulations

Electrocution Incident Reminds Employers to Develop Illness and Injury Prevention Plan

After criminal charges were recently filed against an employer for an electrocution of its employees in 2014, Western Growers Insurance Services would like to remind WG members to reinforce their personal and business risks associated with safety.

Stephanie Metzinger May 25 2017 in Work Place Regulations