Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing

West Lafayette, IN — At least 83 incidents involving confined spaces in the agriculture industry were documented last year – up 41%, according to an annual report recently released by Purdue University.

Washington — OSHA is urging employers to take steps to keep workers safe in extreme heat, including providing adequate cool water, rest breaks, and shade or a cool rest area.

Washington — Vehicles, moving machinery parts, falling trees, toxic chemicals and heat exposure are some of the many hazards that workers in landscaping are exposed to throughout the summer months.

Corvallis, OR — A device designed by crab fishers can effectively limit injuries associated with lifting and dumping crab pots on commercial fishing vessels, results of a recent study show.

Washington — Oregon OSHA is one step closer to having full oversight over temporary labor camps, after federal OSHA published a proposed final approval in the March 13 Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA and its Alliance Program partners in the agriculture industry are teaming up to host the seventh annual Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week.

In California, employers of outdoor workers must provide drinking water “as close as practicable to the areas where employees are working.”

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is requesting public comment on a proposed rule that would retain various pesticide application exclusion zone requirements amended but not implemented as part of a previous agency final rule currently under a court-ordered stay.

West Lafayette, IN — Two Purdue University professors have used a federal grant to expand their safety and health training program for beginning agricultural workers ages 12-20.

St. Louis — Workers in construction, landscaping, agriculture and other outdoor industries may be at risk of infections caused by soil fungi that historically had been found only in certain regions of the country, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis say.