What do you do if OSHA rolls into your farm or AG business? Jim Nolte is the Safety Director for the Wisconsin Agribusiness Association. He presented on the top OSHA violations in agriculture during the association’s annual conference held earlier this month in Madison.
Jim says that the most common safety violations are still the big ones we hear about often. OSHA lists lock out/tag out, entering confined spaces, emergency plans, guarding and electrical hazards as the top violations across all facilities. There are also extra regulations for grain handling that should be top of mind for those working in grain facilities, with dust management being a key concern. OSHA standards calls for less than 1/8th of an inch being allowed. There is also extra attention paid to grain bin safety. Not only safe entry but also not allowing workers to be in the bin while sweep augers are in use.
So what if the worst happens and you have an accident on your farm or at your work place and OSHA is on the way? Jim says that if you’re a farm without any non-family employees, OSHA does not have jurisdiction to inspect your farm. However if you do fall under their jurisdiction Jim says that being honest and forthright with information as the inspection is going on is necessary. He reminds all that an OSHA investigation is a federal investigation and charges could be pressed against anyone who attempts to impede OSHA’s efforts.
While Jim says that change at OSHA takes a long time, there are some increased regulations on the horizon. The first, coming post pandemic, will look at how employers deal with infectious disease. The second is looking at keeping workers safe in the heat. This comes after several incidents over the last several years of hospitalizations and deaths due to working in hot environments. He says that these won’t be rolled out in the next year but are on the horizon.
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