CDC and U.S. Department of Labor Issues Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Agricultural Workers and Employers
By Brian Breaux
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
The CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor has just released COVID-19 Interim Guidance for Agricultural Workers and Employers. Farm owners and operators are strongly encouraged to develop a COVID -19 assessment and control plan using this Guidance to protect themselves and workers.
Here are a few of the highlights. They recommend designating a workplace coordinator so workers know whom to contact with any COVID-19 concerns. They recommend screening (temperature testing) of workers prior to entry to the worksite or boarding shared transportation and self-isolating any workers with symptoms and establishing how to contact a healthcare provider for workers. They recommend a control plan to isolate sick workers, and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with face coverings for workers.
They recommend engineering worksite controls to separate workers, installing shields between workers, and rearranging break areas to support social distancing. They recommend a control plan to encourage workers to wash their hands often and cleaning, sanitation, and disinfecting work areas, break areas, locker areas, sanitation and limit sharing of tools. They recommend transporting the same crews in living areas together, wearing face covering in vehicles and sanitizing vehicles after each trip.
For shared housing, they recommend enhanced sanitation of housing, living quarters, cooking and eating areas, bathroom and laundry facilities and encourage much greater social distancing when workers are in housing. They recommend face coverings in shared spaces, minimizing use of bunk beds, 6 feet of space between beds with installation of barriers if 6 feet between beds are not possible. They recommend staging cycles of eating and bathing, conducting meetings outdoors and encourage workers to wear face coverings when in shared spaces.