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National Farm Safety and Health Week and Resources in California to Protect Agricultural Workers

Industrial Hygiene Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	9/18/2024
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	National Farm Safety and Health Week and Resources in California to Protect Agricultural Workers
Introduction	LA Testing provides environmental and industrial hygiene laboratory services, sampling supplies, monitoring instruments, and personal protective equipment to safeguard workers from a wide range of potential exposure hazards.
Huntington Beach, California, September 18, 2024 Since 1944, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week. The National Safety Council was the first to promote the week of recognition and it is now led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS). The theme for 2024 is Don’t Learn Safety by Accident. There are tens of thousands of farms and ranches spread across California. Agriculture creates over $57 billion dollars in cash receipts each year in the state, and the industry is supported by hundreds of thousands of farmworkers. Farm safety for these workers is an important topic as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as recently as 2021, there were 453 fatalities in the agricultural sector for the entire country. This figure makes farming one of the more dangerous occupations in the state and nation. In addition to fatal accidents and serious injuries, farmers and agricultural workers can be at risk of exposure to a number of airborne hazards that could impact their health. These include everything from mold, bacteria, and viruses, to dusts - including combustible dusts, fumes, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and fertilizers. Confined spaces and exposure to various hazardous gases can also be a risk, including dangerous concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and other gases. “National Farm Safety and Health Week takes place this year from September 15^th through the 21^st,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “At LA Testing, we support the efforts of this annual observance and provide year-round resources to safeguard agricultural workers. Our California environmental and industrial hygiene laboratories offer testing services and sampling supplies for mold, bacteria, viruses, particulates, gases, combustible dusts, and a wide range of pesticides. LA Testing also provides air monitoring instruments, and a complete line of personal protective equipment.” Several years ago, LA Testing sponsored an educational video about National Farm Safety and Health Week that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/Pwp9S-LuTqg To learn more about this or other environmental and industrial hygiene resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com, or call (800) 755-1794. About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, bacteria, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.