WA S H I N G TO N R E P O RT
Worker Safety In The Age Of COVID-19 By JohnWalt Boatright, Director of National Affairs
T
he American workplace is perhaps the most changed environment in today’s COVID-19 reality. As a result of newly implemented social distancing guidance, many work sites and offices were deserted due to stay-at-home orders around the country. In addition to the dramatic change caused by working from home, many workers were furloughed or lost their jobs altogether. Classes of workers and sectors were labeled as “essential” throughout this period, including those responsible for ensuring our domestic food supply. This does not just include the farmer, but it also includes the thousands of farmworkers and employees who provide the hands to pick the food and run the equipment. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been relentless in the distribution and revision of official guidance as public understanding of the disease has evolved. In turn, Florida Farm Bureau has been equally diligent in sharing updated information to our producers and members. So, when the state of Florida announced COVID-19 spikes among farmworker communities, we redoubled our communications with member growers to offer our assistance and reiterate highly recommended measures.
These practices adopted by Florida farmers and farmworkers have included, but are not limited to: 3 Establishing hand sanitizing stations; 3 Providing daily temperature checks; 3 Supplying and requiring personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks; 3 Maintaining a 6-foot distance at all times; and 3 Isolating workers who exhibit or experience COVID-19 symptoms. As an organization, Florida Farm Bureau’s strategy to help producers weather the effects of COVID-19 has been twofold. First, staff has worked to keep members and county Farm Bureau leaders apprised of the best possible information as it is announced by public health professionals and the federal government. That includes the information summarized above, as well as specific protocols if official guidance
does not explicitly cover certain commodity sectors or farmers with small numbers of employees. Second, Farm Bureau works hard daily to live up to its reputation as the voice of the nation’s agriculture sector by maintaining open conversations about the farm workplace. Our efforts have centered on preventing significant disruptions in the workforce while protecting farmworker health and safety. The topic of a fourth relief package is already under consideration. American Farm Bureau has clearly encouraged Congressional leaders to direct federal resources toward more PPE for agricultural workers and make sure that agriculture receives priority access. Agriculture has proven to be an important partner with local and state governments in guarding against COVID-19 outbreaks among the prized employees that sustain food production in Florida. FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020
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