Bakersfield, California.
The new unit conducts proactive weekly inspections on construction sites in the entire state to prevent accidents before they occur instead of reacting after incidents occurred.
“The purpose of this new unit is to try it and proactively save the life of our agricultural workers, to change the culture within the industry so that they can also be proactive. This is one of the existing official requirements,” said Edgar Gonzalez, Cal/Osha Agricultural Enforcement Task Force & Outreach Regional Manager.
The Task Force operates five district offices, including one in Bakersfield, to cover agricultural operations in the state.
“We are not waiting for an accident or a death or a complaint. Instead, we only monitor the dangers from outside and then open up to employers and ensure that they follow all regulatory requirements for the protection of our agricultural workers,” said Gonzalez.
Agricultural work remains a high risk of risk
According to Cal/Osha, agricultural work is one of the most dangerous appointments. In 2023, the fatal injury rate for agricultural workers in California reached 15.4 deaths per 100,000 workers, which corresponds to an increase of 8% compared to 2022.
The highest number of deaths occurred on streets, while the workers traveled to or from construction sites.
The dangers remain in Kern County. At the beginning of this month, an irrigation worker died on Sun Pacific Delano Farms during work. Cal/Osha examines the incident.
“This industry is definitely a high hazard industry. The work itself requires a lot of skill … If we have to examine a death, it is always very difficult to carry out a serious accident or a serious accident or a serious illness,” said Gonzalez.
New resources planned for employees
Cal/Osha plans to expand support services for agricultural workers through additional resources.
“We are currently building a hotline and outreach call center in which we can call to request information if you are happy to submit a tip,” said Gonzalez.
“We also try to create resources that are more easily accessible to employees.”
The Task Force continues to grow and actively stops additional employees to expand their reach and to help more agricultural workers across California.
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