Outdoor Workplace Challenges

If you are living in the warm climate of the San Joaquin/Central Valley of California, then heat illness is an environmental reality.  This week the temperatures are over 95 degrees which is the “high heat” threshold for several California regulatory requirements including a morning tailgate meeting to encourage workers to drink enough water(see below CSTC’s email tailgate).  Companies must provide 1 quart per person per hour throughout the day.  If you are working 10 hours this could be accomplished by having a 2.5 gallon insulated jug with procedures for replenishment.  Employers must also provide a 10 minute cool down recovery period for every 2 hours worked in temperatures over 95 degrees. 

For us at CSTC we utilize an email to communicate to our instructors/inspectors for the tailgate reminder.  For complete requirements see Cal/OSHA Title 8 3395.

Have a great and safe day!

First blog of 2021 and I’m avoiding another Covid-19 compliance discussion.  So, I asked my good friend Tricia Bland, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, with several decades of professional experience:  What should I eat to help me resist the Covid-19 virus?
She sent me 2 short pages containing 7 herbs and 8 food sources which can help boost your resistance and reduce inflammation.  Some of my daily favorites on the list are cinnamon and almonds which made me feel great about some of my diet…:)  If you want to get more information, please reach out to Tricia at www.triciabland.com. 
 
For me, the formula for success has been diet (healthy breakfast) , daily exercise (walking or gardening count), sleep (at least 7 hours) and stress management (10 minutes of meditation).  Hope this helps!
 
Have a great and safe 2021!

Ben Laverty IV

The Best Herbs for Reducing Inflammation

Anti-Inflammatory Meal Planning

Cal/OSHA has been visiting worksites and asking for and or utilizing the general checklist attached to enforce COVID-19 protocols.  Please see the link for the Cal/OSHA Ag checklist specific to COVID-19 and note that when the CSTC worksite specific document (see link) is utilized with the IIPP topic (see link) then the checklist items are addressed.

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Checklist for Ag

IIPP-CSP COVID-19 Update 6.25.20

Worksite Specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan Checklist

We are here to support you.  Please reach out to any of our staff.

Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

CSTC Team

Two weeks ago I did a Zoom meeting presentation on COVID-19 for my business networking group here in Hawaii.  After sharing the PowerPoint with Ben (my brother and colleague), he thought it would be great to share with all of you.  If you would like to talk about any of the information in the slides or want further details of the presentation, please reach out to me.  I would love to share and chat. 

CSTC COVID-19 TLAV 5.2020

Stay Safe!  Stay Healthy!

We are all in this together!

95° + temperatures have hit in the Central Valley.  We are updating Heat Illness Prevention Programs to incorporate Covid-19 precautions. In this blog we are focusing on two specific areas: water and shade.

First, I’d like to address water as everyone needs to be consuming adequate fluids, especially when the weather is hot. It’s important to follow personal hygiene and sanitization practices for commonly touched surfaces.  Igloo jugs to fill single use cups will need to be monitored and sanitized appropriately.  Even the single use water bottles will need to be handled with proper personal hygiene caution. As always, make sure you are providing sufficient quantities of cooled fresh water at 1 quart per person per hour in the workplace.

Preventative recovery rest breaks is the next area to be addressed.  Shaded rest areas must be provided.  For every two hours worked employees must be provided with a preventative rest period of at least 10 minutes. Employers must take additional measures to be sure that employees can take a break in a shaded area while obeying social distancing of 6 feet.

Employees should be trained to keep 6 feet of social distance during breaks and transportation to prevent infection.

In California, Cal/OSHA will continue to enforce regulations associated with COVID-19 and hazards associated with the workplace including heat illness and other applicable hazards. Please review your Heat Illness Prevention programs with a review of your specific COVID-19 procedures. 

Please contact us if we can help you in adjusting your plans accordingly.

Essential Industries with an employee who tests positive for COVID-19

1. Isolate sick worker from other employees.
2. Inform other employees while protecting privacy under HIPAA laws.
3. Perform a contact tracing of the employee at your workplace for the previous 14 days including contractors and suppliers who may have been in close contact* with the infected worker.
4. Sanitize surfaces which the worker may have touched including tools and transportation.
5. Monitor employees who were potentially exposed. Ask daily about symptoms and potential exposures. Train employees to inform you if any symptoms appear while working and isolate any employee who has symptoms. Consider monitoring temperatures of employees.
6. If contact tracing indicates the employee was exposed while working then recording (worker comp) and reporting to Cal/OSHA if the illness leads to a fatality, in-patient hospitalization or disfigurement.
7. Review your companies code of safe practice for COVID-19 and review your infectious disease management plan and update as needed.

** Data is limited to define of close contact. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity (within 6 feet), the duration of exposure (e.g., longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the individual has symptoms (e.g., coughing likely increases exposure risk) and whether the individual was wearing a facemask (which can efficiently block respiratory secretions from contaminating others and the environment).

Sources: Cal/OSHA, CDC, OSHA, CA DHS and HHS

The CDC and Cal/OSHA regulations have been changing as the pandemic is progressing.  The Code of Safe Practice attached for COVID-19 reflects the most recent changes we are aware of.  In particular the return to work and quarantine guidelines have changed recently.  Please review and update your IIPP with this Code of Safe Practice.  If you have questions or need assistance in updating your programs please contact us.

IIPP CSP COVID-19 English 4.22.2020

IIPP CSP COVID-19 Spanish 4.22.2020

Cal/OSHA has released specific COVID-19 guidance for the Agriculture community. 

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Specific Guidance for Agriculture Employers and Employees

Guía de Seguridad y Salud de CalOSHA sobre COVID-19 en la Industria Agricola

CSTC has created a COVID-19 Code of Safe Practice (E/S) for you to include in your updated Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) as directed by the Cal/OSHA guidance. 

IIPP CSP COVID-19 English 4.6.2020

IIPP CSP COVID-19 Spanish 4.6.2020

We are available to help and support you with any questions or assistance in updating your Company's specific IIPP. 

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) Posting.  Post by April 1, 2020

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/posters/FFCRA_Poster_WH1422_Non-Federal.pdf