BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

January 12, 2012

Cal-OSHA cites two labor contractors

Cal-OSHA cited two farm labor contractors following the heat illness of two employees, one of whom became ill while working in a field southwest of Bakersfield.

Cal-OSHA cited AgPrime Corp. of Los Banos and C. Clunn Consulting of Holtville for violating heat illness prevention standards, a Department of Industrial Relations news release issued Wednesday said.

In AgPrime's case, a 16-year-old farmworker became sick while picking bell peppers with his guardians as temperatures reached 105 degrees July 6, the news release said. A supervisor noted the teen's illness, but didn't get medical help, the news release said. The boy later recovered.

Cal-OSHA found AgPrime did not provide adequate water, shade, rest breaks, or first aid kits at the worksite, the news release said, and did not train new employees or supervisors to identify and treat symptoms of heat illness.

AgPrime didn't have procedures to protect employees working in high temperatures or call emergency medical help if needed, the news release said.

AgPrime was cited and fined $61,425, according to the news release.

The contractor could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement reviewed the case because of the farmworker's age and "the circumstances that led to the injured worker and his guardians' separation of employment from AgPrime," the news release said.

The division issued two $500 citations to AgPrime for child labor violations for failure to maintain a permit and for working outside of permitted hours for a minor, according to the news release.

Wages were recovered for the teen and his guardians, the news release said.

In the Holtville case, a 47-year-old worker collapsed in a cantaloupe field in July in Blythe after working in 102-degree heat and later died, the news release said.

The Cal-OSHA investigation found C. Clunn Consulting didn't provide employees required training on identifying and treating symptoms of heat illness and failed to enforce its own heat illness prevention program, the news release said. The business was cited and fined $74,125, the news release said.