07/13/07 Heat Stress Rule Distressing

Heat Distress Rule Distressing. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Washington State Labor and Industries announced the implementation of a new heat stress rule designed to help employers know what needs to be done in an emergency situation. But the Washington Farm Bureau feels the new rule is an extra burden on ag producers. Farm Bureau Safety Director, Jeff Lutz. LUTZ: The system already has measures in place. The rules that have been in place on field sanitation, making sure people have drinking water, restroom facilities, making sure people are taking their breaks on time; those apparatus are already in place. And so we were saying with an emergency rule, we thought it was a little far reaching. L&I's emergency rule circumvents the legislative process but they plan on getting the rule in place permanently. Corwyn Fischer is also a Safety Director for Farm Bureau who says that California is the only other state with a heat stress rule and that may be beneficial. FISCHER: They now have a permanent rule in place and hopefully the workers that migrate up here from California will get the education down there on the hazards associated with heat illness and make it a little bit easier for our farmers up here to get them educated. Bottom line is that the rule is redundant and can actually put a lot more burden on the farmer. FISCHER: I think for the farmers over here it's just initial time; extra time during the orientation that you are keeping workers from getting the crop in to provide the training. Both Farm Bureau and Labor & Industries provides extensive resources and materials on their web sites to inform and educate workers and farmers on the dangers of heat related stress. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.