Calif. bans weed pulling by hand on farms

MSNBC ^ | 23 September 2004 | AP

[pickemuphere]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California became the first state Thursday to ban weeding by hand on most farms, saying the work is too backbreaking for laborers.

Under a rule approved by the California Occupational Safety and Health Division, farmworkers, in most cases, will not have to stoop to pull weeds, but will instead be given long-handled tools that will allow them to work without bending over. The rule takes effect within two weeks.

The regulation aims to prevent the “real and substantial risk of back injury” caused by stooping to weed or thin plants by hand, Cal-OSHA said. The workplace-safety agency had no estimate of how many California field hands hurt their backs.

[exDemMom]

Who cares strawberrys suck. I hate the damn things. Not joking, they taste about as good as okra.

I almost agree with you there. I like fresh strawberries, but anything else strawberry is horrid. People eat things like strawberry ice cream and cake around me purposely to gross me out.

[antceecee]

NANNY GOVERNMENT STRIKES AGAIN!!!
Too bad we don't have the brains or stamina our forefathers (and mothers) had, what a sorry bunch of sissies.

[FITZ]

I don't see anything wrong with it and in my opinion, unless the farmer is hiring illegals, it would SAVE them money in workers compensation claims for injured backs.

True --- other businesses are expected to provide ergonomic equipment and safe working conditions --- why should it be so different if you hire a different set of workers --- and the illegals' health problems might not costs a dime to those who are getting rich off their cheap labor but their health ailments are certainly costing the taxpayers.

[JesseJane]

Well, I know what my uncle (also a farmer) would say; damn time they work for their room and board instead of sitting on their @ss everyday complaining about the feather count in their pillows. They'd be to damn tired at night to cause a bunch of trouble. ~~

[KneelBeforeZod]

guess we can look forward to foreign produce... sprayed with God knows what to kill weeds, and fertilized with local sewer water

[Experiment 6-2-6]

The new rule says farms cannot require workers to weed by hand for extended periods of time unless they can show that long-handled tools are not effective. If the workers must hand-weed, they must be given longer breaks, and there are restrictions on how much time they must spend toiling at the task.

Well, well, well. It appears that they really DON'T ban them, it just makes the farm go through a whole lot of effort to prove the measures are necessary.. I also see where "organic" farms are exempt..

[pickemuphere]

I wonder what would have happened if we would have had some government agency on hand at Plymouth to tell the new settlers that they could not do any backbreaking labor?

Good question!

I, too, long for those days in which the average life expectancy was about 45 years.

[arjay]

I understand your point and I am all in favor of protecting people, all people, from backbreaking work if there is any other way around it.

I am simply saying that this country was built on the hard work and dedication of people willing to do any kind of work, no matter how hard or dangerous, to develop our nation. The nanny state works to break that spirit and drive.

We must have rules and laws to protect folks in the workplace. No question. But there is a line between reasonable rules and killing progress.

[FauxBlonde]

Well, I know what my uncle (also a farmer) would say; damn time they work for their room and board instead of sitting on their @ss everyday complaining about the feather count in their pillows. They'd be to damn tired at night to cause a bunch of trouble. ~~

---

He'd honestly have no problem with a bunch of inmates running all over his farm?

[JesseJane]

Nope.. You wouldn't expect them to be unguarded would you?? Heck, bring back the chain gang... (j/k...sortof).. Electronic bracelets for tracking, in case one gets loose, and if they do.. well, just 5 years to their sentance... Move them to the rock plant...