New Nighttime Lighting Requirements Go Into Effect for Agriculture on July 1st

Well, it is now official.  The new Cal/OSHA regulation specifying lighting requirements for operation of agricultural equipment at night goes into effect on July 1st.  These new requirements aren’t as intrusive as originally proposed thanks to the involvement of the Association, but they are still imposing.  The new requirements include the following highlights, when working between sunset and sunrise:

  • All tractors, trucks and harvest equipment must have a light at the front of the equipment and one rear light to illuminate equipment
  • Lighting must be provided at the following illumination levels:

o Meeting and meal/rest areas – 3 foot-candles
o Around agricultural operations, pathways
leading to and around bathrooms and drinking
water stations, inside bathrooms and storage
areas – 5 foot-candles
o Intermittently exposed points of operation or
moving parts of machinery, or using tools that
can potentially cause cuts, lacerations or
punctures – 10 foot-candles
o Performing maintenance work on equipment –
20 foot-candles
o Note: the illumination levels can be provided by
the use of one or more light sources including
hands free portable lighting (e.g. headlamp),
equipment mounted lighting, or other sources

  • At the beginning of every shift, a safety meeting must be held to inform employees of location of restrooms, drinking water, break areas, bodies of water and high traffic areas
  • Employers must provide, and require workers to wear, high visibility garments

For questions or should you need additional information, please contact our office.