Safety Programs
Please note - this page is Under Construction and will be updated soon to reflect only Safety Programs. In the future, the HazCom and Safety Training sections will be located in the appropriate tabs.
NEW! Front End Loader Safety The Front End Loader Safety Subcommittee is working to create a safety training toolkit specifically for employees operating or working around front end loaders in the mushroom industry. More training materials will be developed in the coming months.
The first product of the subcommittee’s toolkit is a customizable general training PowerPoint. Click the button above to download the PowerPoint in English (Spanish will be available soon). Trainers should view the PowerPoint and customize it to their company. For example, companies can add site-specific information about hazards and obstacles so that drivers are aware.
Additional Safety Programs:
- Preventive Stretching Program Toolkit: AMI’s Ergonomics Subcommittee, ATI Physical Therapy and ATI Worksite Solutions have designed a Preventive Stretching Program specifically for the mushroom industry. This toolkit contains downloadable posters, handouts and pocket cards as well as a presentation explaining how to establish a successful stretching program. All materials are available in English and Spanish.
- Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries
- Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Active Shooter Preparedness
- Department of Homeland Security Tools and Resources -- Active shooter incidents are often unpredictable and evolve quickly. In the midst of the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident. DHS aims to enhance preparedness through a "whole community" approach by providing products, tools, and resources to help you prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident.[link to: https://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness]
- Violence Prevention Plans Help Employees Feel Safer, (Mushroom News, Feb. 2018)
- Active Shooter Preparedness
- Job Hazard Analysis
- Description -- Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) are two terms for the same thing. You can use either term. A JSA form is used for all jobs or tasks performed on the farm to assess any hazardous conditions in the workplace. It then becomes a guide to determine personal protective equipment for performing that task. [link to PDF assets Job Safety Analysis]
- Powerpoint
- Record Keeping Form
- Job Hazard Analysis Sample Forms
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Confined Spaces
- Lock Out - Tag Out: The OSHA standard 1910.147 The Control of Hazardous Energy covers the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment in which the unexpected energization or start up of the machines, or release of stored energy could cause injury to employees. To effectively control hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance, a Lockout/Tagout program should be developed. The goal of a Lockout/Tagout program is to isolate an energy source before employees can perform maintenance and servicing of equipment.
- Powered Industrial Truck
- Machine Guarding
- OSHA Consultation: How to Get Started
HAZCOM TRAINING
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) or HazCom is a regulation [29 CFR § 1910.1200] mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that says that companies producing and using hazardous materials must provide employees with information and training on the proper handling and use of those materials. The premise behind HCS is that employers and employees have the right to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed to and what precautions they can take to protect themselves.
All employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must prepare and implement a written hazard communication program and must ensure that all containers are labeled, employees are provided access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and an effective training program is conducted for all potentially exposed employees.
On farms, hazard communication for workers and handlers must include the following information:
- Location and description of areas where pesticides are applied
- Specific information about the pesticides, including their active ingredients, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration numbers, pesticide labels, and the SDS
- How to understand posted warning signs and follow directions
- Sources of pesticide exposure (water, soil, plants, equipment, etc.)
- Different ways pesticides can enter the body (swallowing, breathing, skin and eyes)
- Signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning
- Entry-restrictions related to a pesticide application
- Methods to reduce pesticide exposure and prevent take-home exposures
- Emergency first aid for pesticide exposures
- Emergency decontamination procedures
- Instructions to seek medical attention if poisoned, injured or made ill by pesticides
- Location and phone number for a nearby medical facility that can provide emergency medical treatment
The intent is to have information prior to exposure to prevent the occurrence of adverse health effects. The training provisions of the HCS are not satisfied solely by giving employee the SDSs to read. An employer's training program is to be a forum for explaining to employees not only the hazards of the chemicals in their work area, but also how to use the information generated in the HazCom program.
This can be accomplished in many ways (audiovisuals, classroom instruction, interactive video), and should include an opportunity for employees to ask questions to ensure that they understand the information presented to them. Training need not be conducted on each specific chemical found in the workplace, but may be conducted by categories of hazard (e.g., carcinogens, sensitizers, acutely toxic agents) that are or may be encountered by an employee during the course of his duties. The training must also be comprehensible. If the employees receive job instructions in a language other than English, then the training and information to be conveyed under the HCS will also need to be conducted in a foreign language.
For more information on HCS, visit https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/
HazCom Worker Compliance Training Videos -- English and Spanish
HazCom OSHA Training -- Spanish
Safety Training
Worker Protection Standard Videos
Handlers need to watch both the worker training video and the handler training video to complete the training requirements. Videos are available in English and Spanish for various growers including greenhouse, vineyard, orchard, nursery, vegetables and mushrooms. The videos were EPA-approved for use in 2018 and beyond. More information is available from the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative http://pesticideresources.org/wps/training/percvids/
- Training Videos for Agricultural Workers -- English
- Training Videos for Agricultural Workers -- Spanish
- Training Videos for Pesticide Handlers -- English
- Training Videos for Pesticide Handlers -- Spanish
- Training Videos via Download -- English and Spanish
Heat Safety
- OSHA's Heat Index Safety App Article
- Heat Wave 2019 - Heat Illness Prevention, Jim Harrity, OSHA
- Heat Illness Prevention: Training Materials for Educators, Pacific Northwest Agricultural Center
2019 MESH General Meeting Presentations
- OSHA Standards Addressed in 2019, Jim Harrity, OSHA
- OSHA Inspections, Jim Harrity, OSHA
- Eye Wash Station Overview, Jim Harrity, OSHA
- Front End Loader Safety Program, Rodolpho Ochoa, Hy-Tech Mushroom Compost and Ben Sheets, Phillips Mushroom Farms
- Building an Effective Safety Culture, Amanda Alonso, Laurel Valley Farms and Richard Rush, South Mill Champs
2018 MESH General Meeting Presentations
- Walking-Working Surfaces and Fall Protection Standards
- Violence in the Workplace
- Why Do Farmworkers Delay Treatment After Debilitating Injuries?
Training Apps
- Mushroom Industry Safety Training Program: English
- Mushroom Industry Safety Training Program: Spanish
2017 MESH General Meeting Presentations
- Fall Protection Sub-committee Update
- Ergonomics Sub-committee Update
- Overview of Revisions to the EPA Agricultural Worker Protection Standard for Pesticides
- AMI OSHA Update 2017
Electrical Hazards Training: English
Electrical Hazards Training: Spanish
OSHA Mock Inspection. Are you Ready?
Worker Safety Contractor Training: English
Worker Safety Contractor Training: Spanish
Ammonia Safety Train the Trainer: English
Ammonia Safety Train the Trainer: Spanish