Growers are always looking for ways to support farm employees who put in tough work hours in the field. In recent years, some growers took the initiative to provide portable, insulated water bottles for individual workers to improve sanitation and access to cool water. This was intended as an alternative to providing a communal water jug in the field. While this intention is good and admirable, and surely appreciated by employees, it does not remove the requirement for that old communal water jug. Let’s take this opportunity to review the OSHA Field Sanitation Standard.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established minimum standards for farm field sanitation in 1987. The standard addresses: toilets, drinking water, hand washing facilities, and notification of employees. OSHA’s Fact Sheet #51: Field Sanitation Standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Act contains all the details.
Drinking water. “Covered agricultural employers must provide potable drinking water, suitably cool and in sufficient amounts, dispensed in single-use cups or by fountains, located so as to be readily accessible to all employees.” Plenty of drinking water is absolutely necessary for those doing physical labor, especially in warm weather. This regulation call for the employer to provide a large water jug or fountains with cool water and single use cups. Individual water bottles, although very nice, do not meet the standard.
Toilet and handwashing facilities. Employers must provide one toilet and handwashing facility for every 20 employees and within a quarter-mile walk from the worksite or closest vehicle access, if fieldwork will last for more than 3 hours. Handwashing must include water and soap, not just towelettes. Toilets must be kept clean, sanitary, and fully operational.
Notification. Providing water and sanitation is useless if employees don’t know how to access them. Employers are required to notify employees about the facilities and provide reasonable time to access them. Facilities must be provided at no cost to employees.
By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution. The post OSHA Field Sanitation Standard Reminder appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.
