The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is responsible for ensuring that agricultural/migrant workers are provided with adequate field sanitation facilities.  When these workers are engaged in work-related hand-labor activities,  MIOSHA Part 500. Field Sanitation and  Section 14n of the MIOSH Act (Act 154 of 1974 as amended) specifies what responsibilities agricultural employers have to provide adequate field sanitation facilities.  The requirements of Part 500 are applicable to agricultural employers with 11 or more employees on any given day.  Requirements in Section 14n of the MIOSH Act are applicable to all agricultural employers with at least one (1) employee.  

In the past MIOSHA has received complaints or referrals alleging that agricultural employers are not meeting the minimum requirements specified in Part 500. Field Sanitation or Section 14n of the MIOSH Act.  We want to assist agricultural employers with the process of ensuring that their employees are provided with adequate field sanitation facilities.  In the summer of 2006, MIOSHA published an article in the MIOSHA News titled  "Agricultural Field Sanitation."  This article described in detail the field sanitation requirements listed in Part 500 and Section 14n of the MIOSH Act.  

MIOSHA will be conducting inspections of agricultural worksites in response to complaints or referrals during the upcoming season.  In addition, MIOSHA may also conduct "planned or programmed" inspections at agricultural worksites to determine employer compliance with MIOSHA field sanitation regulations.  We encourage employers to consider taking proactive steps to review your current workplace safety and health programs and protect the safety and health of employees.

The MIOSHA - Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division can provide assistance to you in interpreting MIOSHA standards and finding solutions to ensure that your farm is in compliance with the Field Sanitation Standard as well as other applicable MIOSHA standards.  To learn more about the free services available from CET, call the Lansing office at 800.866.4674.  To download CET publications from the MIOSHA website, go to  www.michigan.gov/mioshapublications.