Information regarding Field Worker Toilet Facilities

AGRICULTURAL FIELD TOILET INSPECTION PROGRAM

Purpose
The Agricultural Field Toilet Inspection Program (AFTIP) has two purposes:

• to prevent contamination of food crops by field workers because of unsanitary field toilets, and
• to keep workers healthy by making sure they have enough safe drinking water.

AFTIP applies to all owners of field toilets that are provided for use by workers in Monterey County agricultural fields.

AFTIP requires that sanitary field toilet and hand washing facilities, and fresh drinking water, are easily available to food crop workers, and requires the permitting, inspection and enforcement of codes and regulations concerning field toilets, hand-washing facilities and drinking water stations.

Background

Food crops that are contaminated in the field can cause the people who eat them to become ill. The Monterey County Health Department has documented reports that people may have contracted Shigella, Salmonella and E. coli illnesses after eating vegetables grown in Monterey County.

Contamination of food crops in the field can happen when:

• a worker touches food crops with unwashed hands, or
• food crops are contaminated by excreta (urine or feces) in the soil, or
• flies that are attracted to excreta in the soil then carry the contaminants to the food crops.

These kinds of contamination can be stopped by making sure that field toilets are sanitary and convenient to use, and that there is plenty of clean water for washing hands.

 

It is also important, and required by the California Code of Regulations, Section 3457, to provide safe drinking water to field workers for their health and comfort while working.

The field toilet owner, or lessee of such field toilet, must tell each employee where the field toilets, hand washing facilities and drinking water stations are located and must give each employee reasonable time during the day to use them.

The field toilet owner, or lessee of such field toilet, must also make sure that employees properly use the field toilets, hand washing facilities and drinking water stations provided, and must explain to each employee the importance of following good health practices to stop contamination of food crops and to reduce the dangers of communicable diseases, agrichemical residues, dehydration and heat exhaustion.