Almond Alliance of California – There have been multiple COVID-19 outbreaks at agricultural facilities and operations throughout the State. Several of the outbreaks in agricultural areas have been reported in farmworker housing facilities, fields and processing facilities. CalOSHA, Department of Health Services and the Attorney General’s office have been engaged in situations with multiple positive cases. Many of our peer agricultural organizations and individual employers have received letters from the Attorney General’s office reminding about the need to provide guidance to our membership on the health and safety of the agricultural workforce.
Many grower and employer associations, local farm bureaus, and health and safety compliance businesses have shared resources with their members to help agricultural operations conduct an examination of workplaces to ensure that adequate measures are being undertaken to protect the health and safety of agricultural workers.
Below are resources for almond growers, huller shellers and processors. As these materials are updated, the Almond Alliance will distribute revisions. Please post COVID-19 safety materials in Spanish and English throughout the workplace. Please call the Almond Alliance team if you have any questions or need additional information.
Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace:
This guidance and checklist are for use by employers experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 in their workplace. Employers should be proactive and keep in mind that identification of even a single positive case among employees may quickly develop into an outbreak. As outbreak circumstances and work practices vary, employers may need assistance from their local health department (LHD) to plan and coordinate a response to the outbreak that meets the needs of the workplace.
- Industry Guidance: Agriculture and Livestock: Click Here.
- COVID-19 General Checklist for Agriculture and Livestock Employers: Click Here.
COVID-19 Safety Posters and Materials for you to Place in the Workplace in English and Spanish to Reduce the Risk of Employee Exposure in the Workplace:
- CDC Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) English Poster: Click Here.
- CDC Síntomas del coronavirus (COVID-19) Spanish Poster: Click Here.
- CDC Share facts about COVID-19 English Factsheet: Click Here.
- CDC Comparta la información sobre el COVID-19 Spanish Factsheet: Click Here.
- OSHA Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus English Poster: Click Here.
- OSHA Diez Medidas que Todos los Lugares de Trabajo Pueden Tomar para Prevenir la Exposición al Coronavirus Spanish Poster: Click Here.
Cal/OSHA Guidance and Resources:
- COVID-19 Daily Checklist for Agricultural Employers: English | Spanish
- COVID-19 General Checklist for Agricultural Employers: English | Spanish
- Infection Prevention for Agricultural Employers and Employees: English | Spanish
- COVID-19 Worker Protection Video – Infection Prevention for Agricultural Workers (Video Transcripts: English | Spanish | Mixteco
What to Do if You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers:
This document recommends a consistent approach in how a company can continue operations in the event an individual has tested positive, given the global COVID-19 pandemic and high transmissibility of this respiratory virus from person to person.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): What to Do if You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers in Your Food Production, Storage, or Distribution Operations Regulated by FDA: Click Here.
Food Industry Recommended Protocols When Employee/Customer Tests Positive for COVID-19:
This summary, derived from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, outlines key steps that employers and workers can take to help stay open, prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, and support continuity of essential operations if workers are diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, or show symptoms associated with COVID-19: Click Here.
Additional Materials:
- Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan: Click Here.
- Testing Strategy for Coronavirus (COVID‐19) in High‐Density Critical Infrastructure Workplaces after a COVID‐19 Case is Identified: Click Here.
Note: This document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Almond Alliance of California does not advise on the application of law to an individual’s or company’s specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
