The U.S. Department of Labor urged employers and employees in the agricultural business to take immediate action to stop an alarming rise in avoidable fatalities and injuries in transportation-related incidents.
The nation observed National Farm Safety and Health Week Sept. 19-23, according to a Sept. 20 Labor Department news release.
“Vehicle crashes are among the leading causes of agricultural workers’ injuries. In the past year, we have seen too many of these workers suffering fatal and serious injuries,” Wage and Hour Regional Administrator in San Francisco Ruben Rosalez said, according to the release.
Rosalez said employers must follow safety measures including regular vehicle safety inspections and making sure drivers are properly licensed, the release reported. Following common-sense approaches, such as workers wearing seat belts, can make the difference between life and death.
Six recent transportation mishaps in California, Oregon and Washington resulted in eight fatalities and more than 30 injuries among agricultural workers, according to the release. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 271 of the 589 agricultural employees who died as a result of work-related injuries in 2020 did so in accidents involving transportation.
More than 3,750 agricultural investigations were conducted by the Wage and Hour Division 2017-2021, the release reported. Safety issues related to transporting workers to and from their worksites resulted in many of the violations.
