Farm company fined $2M after two workers die of COVID-19
Associated Press
An agricultural company in Washington state where two workers died from COVID-19 was fined more than $2 million for repeatedly violating coronavirus virus safety procedures.
“It’s unacceptable to choose to ignore health and safety rules,” Joel Sacks, the director of state Department of Labor & Industries, told reporters Monday.
Labor & Industries launched an investigation in July after being contacted by an employee of Gebbers Farm Operations in Brewster, Washington. The employee said a worker had died of coronavirus, and that the migrant workers who shared a cabin with the deceased were not tested and then split into other cabins.
In a statement Gebbers Farms said it disagreed with the findings by the state workerplace watchdog.
“There is nothing more important to Gebbers Farms than our workers’ health and safety, as evidenced by the fact that 99.3% of our entire workforce tested negative for the virus, which is better than county, state and national rates to date,” the company said.
Gebbers Farms said it worked with an infectious disease specialist early in the pandemic to develop a safe housing program that included social distancing, mandatory masks and using fans to improve airflow.
Investigators found that hundreds of workers were sleeping in bunk beds using both the top and bottom bunks and not being told to remain in “cohort groups” of workers who don’t mingle with other employees.
The state investigation led to Gebbers Farm being cited for 24 “egregious willful violations” for unsafe sleeping arrangements and unsafe worker transportation - Contributed photo.
An agricultural company in Washington state where two workers died from COVID-19 was fined more than $2 million for repeatedly violating coronavirus virus safety procedures. “It’s unacceptable to choose to ignore health and safety rules,” Joel Sacks, the director of state Department of Labour & Industries, told reporters Monday. Labour & Industries launched an investigation in July after being contacted by an employee of Gebbers Farm Operations in Brewster, Washington. The employee said a worker had died of coronavirus, and that the migrant workers who shared a cabin with the deceased were not tested and then split into other cabins.
In a statement Gebbers Farms said it disagreed with the findings by the state workerplace watchdog.
“There is nothing more important to Gebbers Farms than our workers’ health and safety, as evidenced by the fact that 99.3% of our entire workforce tested negative for the virus, which is better than county, state and national rates to date,” the company said.
Gebbers Farms said it worked with an infectious disease specialist early in the pandemic to develop a safe housing program that included social distancing, mandatory masks and using fans to improve airflow.
Investigators found that hundreds of workers were sleeping in bunk beds using both the top and bottom bunks and not being told to remain in “cohort groups” of workers who don’t mingle with other employees.