OSHA’s New Safety Standard Excludes Farmworkers

Yesterday, 6 ½ years after proposing rules to update protections for workers from slip, trip, and fall hazards, OSHA issued a final fall-protection regulation that excludes workers on farms, ranches and dairies. Farmworker Justice is extremely disappointed that the final rule excludes agriculture from these important safeguards.
Worker injuries and deaths related to falls in agriculture are among the highest in all industries. OSHA’s explanation of the regulation repeatedly refers to the submission by Farmworker Justice as well as other worker advocates of extensive evidence to show the prevalence of falls in agriculture and that these injuries are easily preventable.

OSHA declined to include agricultural operations in the final rule, stating that the agency has not gathered and analyzed data and information necessary to support a rule. The agency had ample time – years — to study farmworkers’ injuries and deaths resulting from falls from ladders and machinery and other hazards.
The agency did attempt to narrowly define what is covered under the agriculture exemption, stating that “if an operation performed on a farm is not an “agricultural operation” or integrally related to an agricultural operation, such as a food manufacturing or other post-harvesting operations, then the final general industry rule applies.”
Farmworker Justice will continue to help farmworkers advocate to end the history of discrimination in occupational safety standards and improve occupational safety and health in their workplaces. The full text of OSHA’s standard on “Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems)” is available here. The comments submitted by Farmworker Justice are here. 

Yesterday, 6 ½ years after proposing rules to update protections for workers from slip, trip, and fall hazards, OSHA issued a final fall-protection regulation that excludes workers on farms, ranches and dairies. Farmworker Justice is extremely disappointed that the final rule excludes agriculture from these important safeguards.
Worker injuries and deaths related to falls in agriculture are among the highest in all industries. OSHA’s explanation of the regulation repeatedly refers to the submission by Farmworker Justice as well as other worker advocates of extensive evidence to show the prevalence of falls in agriculture and that these injuries are easily preventable.

OSHA declined to include agricultural operations in the final rule, stating that the agency has not gathered and analyzed data and information necessary to support a rule. The agency had ample time – years — to study farmworkers’ injuries and deaths resulting from falls from ladders and machinery and other hazards.
The agency did attempt to narrowly define what is covered under the agriculture exemption, stating that “if an operation performed on a farm is not an “agricultural operation” or integrally related to an agricultural operation, such as a food manufacturing or other post-harvesting operations, then the final general industry rule applies.”
Farmworker Justice will continue to help farmworkers advocate to end the history of discrimination in occupational safety standards and improve occupational safety and health in their workplaces.  The full text of OSHA’s standard on “Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems)” is available here.  The comments submitted by Farmworker Justice are here.