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State revokes ag company's operating license
By MARTÍN E. MARTÍNEZ / Vida En El Valle
(Published Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 09:12AM)
SACRAMENTO -- In the last two weeks, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the revocation of operating licenses of two companies for failing to comply with heat illness regulations for their workers.
The state Department of Industrial Relations announced last week it would withdraw the licence to Galt-based Solís Farms because they did not meet the requirements to prevent their workers suffer from diseases related to high temperatures.
"After an investigation into several companies we realized that Solis Farms did not meet safety standards which would put at risk the health of their employees so that we withdrew his license operation," said Paul Feist, secretary of Labor and Workforce for the department.
According to Feist, the company did not provide the minimum requirements of security, like a shaded area in the fields where workers could cool off and not a place where they provide fresh water.
This is the second time the department has suspended an operating license to an ag company. The first occurred two weeks ago after Merced Farm Labor failed to provide adequate regulations, which is suspected for the death of 17-year-old María Isabel Vásquez Jiménez.
Department director John Duncan said that in the coming weeks his department will continue conducting research in other farms companies across the state to verify that these are implementing safety measures. If not, he said, those companies could lose their license.
"We are actively pursuing employers who fail to meet our heat illness standards and as we did with Merced Farm Labor, we are taking this step to ensure that workers employed by this company are not put at risk,'' said Duncan.
He added that Solís Farms also failed to provide the basic requirements to their employees, like provide the proper training.
"We have evidence to suggest that this company has failed to train its employees and this order will be in force until the company is in full compliance with California heat illness prevention regulations," said Duncan.
According to Duncan, Solís Farms records showed it had previously been sent two citations by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health since 2006.
The company was fined $4,950 for failing to comply with safety standards to prevent heat-related illnesses.
The second citation was for failure to implement a program to prevent injuries and illnesses, plus they did not have places where workers could wash their hands. The company was fined $1,025.
Both fines were never paid.
Duncan also said that during the investigation in the case of the death of Vásquez Jiménez, conducted by undercover agents inside Merced Farm Labor, was evident that they continued hiring workers who were working in unsafe conditions.
In an enforcement sweep of more than 25 agricultural work sites in San Joaquín County last week investigators found numerous violations including 10 employers without illness and injury prevention plans and 20 violations of the heat illness prevention standard.
Similar sweeps of outdoor workplaces are conducted daily in most California counties with special teams dispersed when temperatures rise to 100 degrees or more, or when the Governor's Office of Emergency Services State Warning Center issues a heat wave alert.
Schwarzenegger said in a statement that these actions are a signal to every employer and contractor throughout the state must obey the law.
"This action is another signal to every employer and labor contractor across the state of California -- obey the law or be shut down," said Schwarzenegger. "Companies that fail to protect worker safety will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Worker safety from heat illness will be protected in the state of California."
Vida en el Valle tried to reach Solis Farms personal but nobody returned the calls.
