Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) Operating Instructions and Safe Work
Practices.
(1) At the time of initial
assignment and at least annually thereafter, the employer shall instruct every
employee in the safe operation and servicing of all equipment with which the
employee is, or will be involved including, instruction on the safe work
practices and operating rules provided in subsection (a)(2).
(2) Agricultural equipment shall be operated
in accordance with the following safe work practices and operating rules:
(A) Keep all guards in place when the machine
is in operation;
(B) Permit no
riders on agricultural equipment other than persons required for instruction or
assistance in machine operation;
EXCEPTION: to Subsection (a)(2)(B): The operation of
agricultural tractor-mounted personnel transport carriers when used, operated
and maintained in accordance with subsection (i) of this
section.
(C) Stop engine,
disconnect the power source, and wait for all machine movement to stop before
servicing, adjusting, cleaning, or unclogging the equipment, except where the
machine must be running to be properly serviced or maintained, in which case
all steps and procedures which are necessary to safely service or maintain the
equipment shall be taken;
(D) Make
sure everyone is clear of machinery before starting the engine, engaging power,
or operating the machine;
(E) Lock
out electrical power before performing maintenance or service on agricultural
equipment. (See Article 3 of the Low-Voltage Electrical Safety Orders.)
NOTE: For overhead electrical hazards see Section
3455 of this
article.
(b) All self-propelled equipment shall, when
under its own power and in motion, have an operator stationed at the vehicular
controls. This shall not prohibit the operator occupying or being stationed at
a location on the vehicle other than the normal driving position or cab if
controls for starting, accelerating, decelerating and stopping are provided
adjacent and convenient to the alternate position. If the machine requires
steering other than ground or furrow steering or operates at ground speeds in
excess of two miles per hour, steering controls shall also be provided at the
alternate location. Seedling planters and other similar equipment traveling at
a speed of two miles an hour or less where a control that will immediately stop
the machine is located at the operator's work station will satisfy this
requirement.
(1) Furrow guided self-propelled
mobile equipment may be operated by an operator not on the equipment provided
that all of the following are complied with:
(A) The operator has a good view of the
course of travel of the equipment and any employees in the immediate
vicinity.
(B) The steering
controls, when provided, and the brake and throttle controls are extended
within easy reach of the operator's station.
(C) The operator is not over 10 feet away
from such controls and does not have to climb over or onto the equipment or
other obstacles to operate the controls.
(D) The equipment is not traveling at over
two miles per hour ground speed.
(c) Safe access to a safe place for all
personnel riding on mobile equipment shall be provided.
(d) All self-propelled equipment shall be
equipped with a braking device controlled from the operator's station, capable
of preventing the vehicle from moving while parked.
(e) Where mobile farm equipment is towed by a
tractor or truck and the tractor or truck driver cannot see the employees on
the towed equipment, a positive signaling device shall be installed on the
towed equipment, or there shall be a device on the towed equipment that can be
actuated to stop the towing equipment in case of an emergency.
(f) Engine exhaust systems shall not be piped
into or through an enclosed cab on tractors or other equipment.
(g) All tractors, self-propelled farm
equipment, and trucks used between sunset and sunrise shall be equipped with at
least one headlight which shall be used to illuminate the area in front of the
equipment or truck at least 50 feet. There shall be at least one rear light
which shall illuminate equipment at the rear. Additional lighting shall be
provided where the operation requires field adjustment or the operator's
attention.
NOTE to Subsection (g): See Section
3449 for illumination requirements
for working near agricultural equipment during hours of
darkness.
(h) Adequate means
of access shall be provided so that employees can safely reach the top of the
load for manual loading or unloading of high loads.
(i) Tractor-Mounted Personnel Transport
Carriers (PTCs).
(1) Use of PTCs shall be
allowed only for employees who are installing, removing or maintaining
irrigation pipe for low-lying row crops. No other employees shall be allowed to
board or ride on PTCs. When the term "tractor" is used in subsection (i), it
means "agricultural tractor" as defined in Section
3649.
(2) Employees may ride in PTCs only in the
furrowed area of fields while performing irrigation activities.
(3) The slope of the fields where employees
ride on a PTC shall not exceed a 5% grade.
(4) PTC Design and Construction.
(A) PTCs shall be approved for their intended
use as provided in Section
3206 of these Orders.
(B) For existing PTC units built prior to the
effective date of these provisions, January 1, 2016, a qualified person shall
inspect and approve the PTC units for structural integrity and design prior to
the units being placed into service.
(C) Seat belts shall be installed for all
passenger positions on PTCs.
1. Seat belts
shall be labeled as meeting the design requirements of the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) J386 JUN85 or JUN93 standard, Operator Restraint
System for Off-Road Work Machines; or
2. Seat belts shall be equivalent to the
tractor operator seat belt provided by the tractor
manufacturer.
(D)
Sufficient steps and handholds shall be provided on the PTC so that employees
can maintain a three-point contact while entering and exiting the
PTC.
(E) PTCs shall be designed
with a safety chain, door or gate at each passenger entry/exit opening that
shall withstand a force of at least 200 pounds, applied vertically downward and
horizontally outward on the exit side of the PTC opening. Passenger entry/exit
openings shall be kept in the closed and latched position whenever the tractor
is in motion.
(F) Each PTC shall
have an effective and reliable means of communication by which passengers can
relay an emergency signal to the tractor operator. When the tractor operator
has a clear line of sight to the PTC passengers, verbal communication meets the
requirements of this provision.
(G)
Structural elements of the PTC shall be constructed of steel. The strength of
the elements shall be sufficient to support the anticipated loads.
(H) All welding or repairs affecting the
structural integrity of PTCs shall be performed by a qualified
person.
(I) Front ballast shall be
used in accordance with the tractor operations manual on all tractors which are
equipped with PTCs. The required ballast shall be calculated for each tractor
model prior to using the tractor for transporting employees on PTCs.
(J) Seat cushions and back cushions at least
1.5 inches in thickness shall be installed on all PTC sitting benches and their
condition shall be inspected as part of the daily inspection. Seat cushions
shall cover the sitting area of the bench such that all employees can
comfortably sit on the cushion with seat belts fastened. Damaged seat cushions
shall be repaired or replaced in a timely manner.
(K) The PTC width shall not extend beyond the
outside edges of tractor tires.
(L)
The PTC shall be equipped with a shade cover or roof on the top of the
unit.
(5) Operating
Conditions.
(A) PTCs shall be mounted only on
tractors that are equipped with ROPS.
(B) The tractor operator must remain in the
operator's seat at all times when employees ride on the PTC and no other
persons other than the tractor operator and passengers inside the PTC are
permitted on a tractor while in motion. The tractor shall be shut off before
the operator dismounts.
(C) Safe
speed limits shall be established for the operation of equipment in fields in
which PTCs are in use. This limit shall be determined in accordance with
anticipated field conditions and shall not exceed five miles per
hour.
(D) Employees shall exit the
PTC whenever the tractor reaches the end of the row and before the tractor
begins to turn. Employees shall not enter the PTC until the tractor has
completed its turn and is on a straight path through a row. Employees shall
never enter or exit a PTC while the tractor and PTC are in motion.
(E) All passengers in the PTC shall be seated
and seat belts shall be worn whenever the tractor is in motion. Passengers are
not allowed in the PTC whenever the tractor is operating within 10 feet of the
paved edge of a public road.
(F)
Employees shall not be permitted on PTCs if the tractor or pipe trailer is
within 10 feet (measured from the outside wheel edge) of a ditch, canal,
retention pond, unprotected edges of embankments or levees, culvert,
excavation, or other similar locations that present an overturn
hazard.
(G) Employees shall not
ride in PTCs in conditions where tires may lose traction or in muddy locations
where the tractor is likely to become mired.
(H) The tractor operator shall bring the
tractor to an immediate controlled stop, and employees shall dismount and stand
clear of the tractor if any of the following conditions occur:
1. The tractor loses traction or becomes
mired.
2. The tractor operator
detects an unusual or unsafe condition, including, but not limited to,
excessive pitch or yaw, erratic motion, or hazardous surface
conditions.
3. The employee(s) in
the PTC signal that there is a hazardous condition.
(I) Only tools, implements, or other objects
incidental to the work being performed shall be permitted to be carried in
occupied PTCs. Such objects shall be placed in a designated location under the
seat in the PTC during transport. No object shall be transported in the PTC
unless it is fully contained within the designated location. Water bottles,
water coolers and personal coolers or lunch boxes shall be permitted in the PTC
in a designated location.
(6) Inspections.
(A) Prior to daily use, a visual check and
inspection of the PTC shall be made by a qualified person that includes
examining welds and structural members for signs of stress cracks, condition of
the seat belts, safety restraint chains, connection pins and 3-point hitch
points to the tractor and connection pins and hitch point for the pipe
trailer.
(B) Any PTC with defective
parts or damage which creates a hazard shall not be used until the unit has
been repaired and re-inspected by a qualified person who has found the PTC in
proper condition for use.
(7) Training.
(A) Training for all employees involved in
irrigation operations using PTCs including tractor operators shall be provided
in the safe operating conditions and provisions in this section at or prior to
the employee's initial work assignment.
(B) Refresher training shall be provided at
least annually. All training shall be documented and made available to the
Division upon request. Training records shall be maintained in accordance with
the General Industry Safety Orders, Section
3203.
(C) In addition to the training required in
subsections (i)(7)(A) and (B), tractor operators shall be trained in the
inspection of tractors, PTCs and pipe trailers used in the irrigation
operations subject to these provisions.
(D) All training shall be in language(s)
understood by all affected employees.
1.
Amendment of subsection (a) filed 1-9-76; effective thirtieth day thereafter
(Register 76, No. 2).
2. Repealer and new section filed 5-13-77;
effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 20).
3. New
subsection (a)(6) filed 5-15-85; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register
85, No. 20).
4. Amendment of subsection (a)(5) and repealer of
subsection (a)(6) filed 9-19-2000; operative 10-19-2000 (Register 2000, No.
38).
5. Amendment filed 12-2-2002; operative 1-1-2003 (Register
2002, No. 49).
6. New subsection (a)(2)(B) -- EXCEPTION and new
subsections (i)-(i)(7)(D) filed 9-15-2015; operative 1-1-2016 (Register 2015,
No. 38).
7. Amendment of subsection (g) filed 6-3-2020; operative
7-1-2020 pursuant to Government Code section
11343.4(b)(3)
(Register 2020, No. 23).
Note: Authority cited: Section
142.3, Labor
Code. Reference: Section
142.3, Labor
Code.
