CS317555_A 06/11/2020

Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 

Assessment and Control Plan

To prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, agricultural employers can use this checklist to create a COVID-19 assessment and control plan for applying 

specific preparation, prevention, and management measures. This checklist has been developed based on the Agriculture Workers and Employers Interim 

Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor.

This checklist has five sections:

• Section 1: Assessment

• Section 2: Control Plan based on the Hierarchy of Controls

» Screening and Monitoring Workers

» Managing Sick Workers

» Addressing Return to Work after Worker Exposure to COVID-19

» Engineering Controls

» Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sanitation

» Administrative Controls

» Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Section 3: Special Considerations for Shared Housing

• Section 4: Special Considerations for Shared Transportation

• Section 5: Special Considerations for Children

This checklist can be used to reassess, update, and modify your assessment and control plan on a regular basis or as conditions change.
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Agricultural Employer Checklist Section 1:

Assessment

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started

Not 

Applicable

Consider the characteristics of your region, worksite, space, and job 

tasks that may impact your assessment and control of COVID-19. 

Monitor federal, state, and local public health communications 

about COVID-19. 

Ensure workers have access to current information. 

Check local public health information and the CDC COVID-19 website

daily, or as needed depending on local conditions.

Designate a workplace coordinator responsible for COVID-19 

assessment and control planning.

Ensure all workers know how to contact the coordinator. 

Ensure coordinator communicates in workers’ preferred languages.

Ensure coordinator provides materials in preferred languages and 

at the appropriate literacy level.

Provide workers with information about where to get 

COVID-19 testing.

Regularly conduct work site assessments to identify COVID-19 risks 

and prevention strategies.
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Agricultural Employer Checklist Section 2: 

Control Plan based on the Hierarchy of Controls

Screening and Monitoring Workers

Item Completed Ongoing Not 

Started

Not 

Applicable

Develop uniform policies and procedures for screening workers for 

COVID-19 signs and symptoms. 

Screen workers before they enter the worksite or, if possible, before 

they board shared transportation.

Conduct verbal screenings to check for symptoms using workers’ 

preferred languages.

Check workers’ temperatures at the beginning of each shift, 

identifying anyone with a fever of 100.4°F or greater.

Do not let workers who indicated having symptoms or who have a 

fever of 100.4°F or greater enter the workplace.

Encourage workers to report symptoms immediately, when on site.

Encourage workers who have symptoms to self-isolate and contact 

a healthcare provider.

Provide workers who have symptoms with access to direct medical 

care or telemedicine, when appropriate.

Coordinate any recommended diagnostic testing with the 

occupational medicine provider or state and local health officials.

Provide workers with information on when it is safe to return to work

and the operation’s return-to-work policies and procedures.

Inform human resources, health unit (if in place), and supervisor so 

workers can be moved off schedule and replacements assigned.

Ensure personnel performing screening activities are protected.

Train temperature screeners to use temperature monitors according 

to manufacturer instructions.

Provide temperature monitors that are accurate under conditions of 

use (e.g., extreme hot or cold weather).

Use social distancing, barrier or partition controls, and personal 

protective equipment (PPE) to protect screeners. 

Provide appropriate PPE to screeners who must be within 6 feet of 

workers, including gloves, gown, face shield, and face mask 

(at minimum).

Train workers how to properly put on, take off, and dispose of all PPE.
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Managing Sick Workers 

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Monitor and manage sick workers.

Immediately separate workers who appear to have symptoms from 

others in the workplace.

Have a procedure for safely transporting sick workers to housing or 

a healthcare facility. 

House sick workers who can’t be isolated in their existing housing 

arrangement in alternative housing arrangements under quarantine 

away from other workers.

Ensure sick workers avoid contact with animals, including livestock 

and pets.

Provide sick workers with information on when and how to access 

medical attention (e.g., the Health Resources and Services 

Administration (HRSA) website).

Provide sick workers with information on the operation’s return to 

work policies and procedures.

Protect personnel who are managing sick workers.

Provide appropriate PPE to personnel managing sick workers and 

those needing to be within 6 feet of them (gloves, gown, face shield, 

and face mask, at minimum).

Train them to properly put on, take off, and dispose of PPE.

Develop an action plan for workers with suspected or confirmed 

COVID-19. 

Inform anyone who has been in close contact (within 6 feet) with 

the sick worker of their possible exposure to COVID-19, but protect 

the sick worker’s confidentiality.

Clean and disinfect the work area, equipment, common areas, and 

tools the sick worker used.

If there is a sick worker in employer-furnished housing: N/A N/A N/A N/A

Provide a dedicated space for the worker to recover, 

away from others.

Clean and disinfect living quarters, cooking and eating areas, bathrooms, 

and laundry facilities.

Do not allow other workers to use shared areas until after they 

are cleaned and disinfected.
5

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Provide a sick worker going to a home in the community with 

guidance to reduce the risk of spread in the home.

Work with state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health officials 

to identify other exposed individuals.

Consult with STLT officials for guidance on testing and workplace 

contact tracing.

Ensure on-site healthcare personnel follow appropriate CDC 

and OSHA protective guidance for healthcare and emergency 

response personnel.

Addressing Return to Work after Worker Exposure to COVID-19

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Plan for workers returning to work after having or being exposed to 

COVID-19. 

Follow CDC’s Critical Infrastructure Guidance for workers who have 

had a COVID-19 exposure but do not have symptoms.

Implement strategies from CDC’s COVID-19 Critical Infrastructure 

Sector Response Planning to manage continuation of work while 

protecting the health of workers and the public.

Follow the CDC interim guidance Discontinuation of Isolation for 

Persons with COVID-19 Not in Healthcare Settings for COVID-19-

positive workers returning to work.

As workers return, reassess COVID-19 transmission levels in the area 

and follow local, state, and federal recommendations as well as state 

and local directives for businesses.
6

Engineering Controls

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Establish social distancing policies and practices.

Assess and identify opportunities to limit close contact (less than 

6 feet) between all individuals at the workplace.

Adjust workflow to allow for at least a 6-foot distance 

between workers.

Install shields or barriers between workers when a 6-foot distance

is not possible.

Add additional (touch-free, if possible) time clock stations or 

allow more time to clock in/out to reduce crowding.

Remove or rearrange chairs or add visual cues in break areas 

to support social distancing.

Train workers to follow protective measures while on breaks.
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Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sanitation 

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Promote hand hygiene.

Encourage workers to wash their hands often with soap and water

for at least 20 seconds. 

Provide access to permanent and/or temporary hand washing facilities 

equipped with soap, clean water, and clean, single-use towels. 

Increase the number of hand washing stations.

When soap and water are not immediately available, provide access 

to temporary stations equipped with hand sanitizer containing at 

least 60% alcohol. 

Place sanitizing stations in multiple locations including entry/exit 

and time clock station(s).

If possible, provide workers with individual containers of hand 

sanitizer to use in field settings.

Conduct disinfection and sanitation.

Develop sanitation protocols for daily cleaning and sanitation of 

work sites, where feasible.

Develop cleaning and disinfecting procedures for high-touch areas 

such as tools, equipment, and vehicles, following CDC guidance on 

cleaning methods.

Follow cleaning product manufacturers’ contact time recommendations.

Keep cleaning chemicals and hand sanitizer out of reach of children.

Choose disinfectants or alternative cleaning methods (e.g., soap and 

water) for surfaces with which food comes into contact.

Obtain additional information from EPA on cleaning and 

disinfecting workplaces.

Conduct targeted and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting

of high-touch areas (e.g., time clocks, bathroom fixtures, vending 

machines, railings, door handles).

Clean and disinfect break areas daily and between each group.

Clean and disinfect locker rooms after each shift.
8

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Provide disposable disinfectant wipes to frequently clean commonly 

touched surfaces.

Refer to the Transportation Section (below) for guidance 

on sanitizing farm vehicles.

Prevent or limit sharing of tools, when possible.

Clean and disinfect shared tools between each worker use.

If cleaning tools after each use is not possible, conduct daily targeted 

and more frequent cleaning of tools.

Dispose of all cleaning material and PPE in compliance with 

OSHA standards.

Administrative Controls 

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Conduct COVID-19 training that is easy to understand, in preferred 

languages, and at appropriate literacy levels.

Provide accurate and timely information to workers about: N/A N/A N/A N/A

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19, how it spreads, risks for workplace 

exposures, and how workers can protect themselves 

Proper handwashing and use of hand sanitizer

Farm-specific social distancing practices

Cough and sneeze etiquette

Putting on and taking off masks and gloves

General social distancing measures

What to do if you are sick

Employer policies regarding COVID-19 (e.g., disinfection protocols, 

housing and worker isolation, sick leave polities)

How workers should alert their supervisors if they have signs or 

symptoms of COVID-19 or recent close contact with someone with 

confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Place posters, in all preferred languages, at entrances and in break 

areas to reinforce training.
9

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Review leave and sick leave policies.

Modify policies to ensure ill workers can stay home and are not 

punished for taking sick leave.

Ensure workers are aware of and understand sick leave policies.

Modify incentive policies so workers are not penalized for taking 

sick leave if they have COVID-19.

Consider leave flexibilities including advances on future sick leave 

or allowing workers to donate sick leave to each other.

Promote social distancing.

Reduce crew sizes.

Stagger work shifts, mealtimes, and break times.

Have farmworkers work in alternate rows in fields to keep at least 

a 6-foot distance from other workers.

Place materials and produce at a central transfer point instead of 

transferring directly from one worker to the next.

Consider grouping healthy workers together into cohorts that include 

the same workers each day.

Ensure workers who are in the same shared housing unit follow the 

Households Living in Close Quarters Guidance.

Conduct training outside and in smaller groups, with participants 

spaced 6 feet apart.
10

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings as a protective 

measure in addition to social distancing.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A

Employers who determine that cloth face coverings should be worn in 

the workplace, including to comply with state or local requirements 

for their use, should ensure the cloth face coverings:

Fit over the nose and mouth and fit snugly but comfortably 

against the side of the face

Are secured with ties or ear loops

Include multiple layers of fabric

Allow for breathing without restriction (and are not worn by anyone 

with trouble breathing)

Can be put on and removed by the wearer without help

Do not lead to heat-related illness (OSHA’s Heat page offers 

tips on water and rest breaks)

Can be laundered using the warmest appropriate water setting and 

machine dried daily after the shift, without damage or change to shape 

(a clean cloth face covering should be used each day)

Are not used if they become wet or contaminated

Are replaced with clean replacements, provided by employer, as needed

Are not shared among workers unless adequately laundered 

between uses

Are handled as little as possible to prevent transferring infectious 

materials to the cloth

Are not worn with or instead of respiratory protection when 

respirators are needed

1

CDCrecommends wearing cloth face coverings as a protective measure in addition to social distancing (i.e., staying at least 6 feet away from others). Cloth face coverings 

may be especially important when social distancing is not possible or feasible based on working conditions. A cloth face covering may reduce the amount of large respiratory 

droplets that a person spreads when talking, sneezing, or coughing.Cloth face coverings may prevent people who do not know they have the virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading it 

to others. Cloth face coverings are intended to protect other people—not the wearer.

Cloth face coverings are not PPE. They are not appropriate substitutes for PPE such as respirators (like N95 respirators) or medical facemasks (like surgical masks) in workplaces where respirators 

or facemasks are recommended or required to protect the wearer.

While wearing cloth face coverings is a public health measure intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in communities, it may not be practical for workers to wear a single 

cloth face covering for the full duration of a work shift (e.g., eight or more hours) in agricultural operations if they become wet, soiled, or otherwise visibly contaminated 

during the work shift. If cloth face coverings are worn in these operations, employers should provide readily available clean cloth face coverings (or disposable facemask options) for workers to 

use when the coverings become wet, soiled, or otherwise visibly contaminated.

Cloth face coverings may be difficult to wear for extended periods of time, especially in hot, humid environments. They also may require touching of the face, repositioning of the 

coverings, and frequent removal and replacement for water or nourishment breaks. In such instances, social distancing will be very important. 

Employers may also consider providing workers with alternatives to cloth face coverings, such as face shields.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Conduct a hazard assessment to determine if PPE is necessary to 

protect workers.

Ensure workers performing cleaning and disinfecting are provided 

with appropriate PPE based on information from Safety Data Sheets.

When PPE is needed, consider additional hazards that may be created 

by poorly fitting PPE in the work environment and how to prevent 

such hazards.

Provide training on how to properly use PPE that is easy for workers 

to understand, in their preferred languages, and at appropriate 

literacy levels.

Use videos or in-person visual demonstrations.

Keep workers at least 6 feet apart during demonstrations.

Training should include the following: N/A N/A N/A N/A

When to use PPE and what PPE is necessary

How to properly put on and take off PPE

How to properly dispose of disposable PPE

How to properly clean and disinfect reusable PPE

Reminder to change PPE if it is torn, dirty, or otherwise damaged

Reminder to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use 

alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol after 

removing PPE

Allow workers to continue wearing gloves they would normally wear 

while doing fieldwork.
12

Agricultural Employer Checklist Section 3: 

Special Considerations for Shared Housing

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Provide basic guidance about COVID-19 and steps being taken to 

prevent transmission in housing areas.

Keep family members together in housing facilities.

Prepare dedicated and segregated spaces for sleeping quarters, 

kitchens, and restrooms for quarantining workers with confirmed or 

suspected COVID-19.

Promote enhanced sanitation practices.

Provide disposable gloves, soap for handwashing, and 

household cleaners to help residents and staff implement 

personal preventive measures.

Develop and implement enhanced sanitation and cleaning plans:

Specify frequency of sanitation and cleaning.

Identify a person responsible for carrying out the plan.

Do not allow sharing of dishes, drinking glasses, cups, or eating 

utensils.

Handle non-disposable food service items with gloves and wash with 

hot water and dish soap or in a dishwasher.

Disinfect living quarters, cooking and eating areas, bathrooms, 

and laundry facilities.

Ensure there is good airflow in shared rooms:

Use an air conditioner or open windows.

Clean air conditioner units and change filters according to manufacturer 

recommendations.

Provide air filtration systems in units without air conditioner units.

Routinely clean common areas following CDC cleaning and 

disinfection guidelines.
13

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Ensure residents regularly clean and sanitize living quarters following 

CDC cleaning and disinfection guidelines.

Provide supplies for cleaning shared kitchen utensils and appliances.

Continue providing access to laundry facilities, but establish 

guidelines to ensure social distancing.

Provide options for residents to store reusable PPE to prevent 

cross-contamination.

Maintain social distancing in shared housing.

Encourage social distancing during all housing activities, including 

cooking, sleeping, and recreation.

Add physical barriers (if possible) between bathroom sinks and in 

other areas where maintaining 6 feet is not possible.

Remove or space furniture in common areas.

Modify bed configurations to maximize social distancing in sleeping 

quarters, where feasible:

Arrange beds so that residents sleep head-to-toe with at least 6 feet 

between beds.

Add physical barriers between beds when they cannot be 6 feet apart.

Minimize or avoid the use of bunkbeds.

Conduct meetings and conversations outdoors, whenever possible, to 

minimize congregation in close quarters.

Encourage residents to wear cloth face coverings in shared spaces.

Advise residents that cloth face coverings should not be placed 

on children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or is 

unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask 

without assistance.
14

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Conduct daily health checks at shared housing.

Screen residents for symptoms and check temperatures daily.

Offer multiple screening locations or staggered screening times to 

prevent congregations of large groups.

Protect the confidentiality of those with suspected or confirmed 

COVID-19.

Establish a plan for responding to residents with suspected or 

confirmed COVID-19.

Provide accommodations separate from residents who are not ill.

Consider designating one person who is not at higher risk of severe 

illness to assist an ill, isolated resident.

Ensure personnel managing sick residents are protected from 

exposure by providing PPE for use when they are within 6 feet of 

individuals who are sick.

Use separate buildings or rooms instead of physical barriers to 

separate ill residents from well residents.

Consider providing separate food and bathroom access where 

possible.

Restrict non-essential persons from entering the isolation area.

Provide medical access and telemedicine for emergent illnesses.

Provide safe transportation, if necessary.

For H-2A temporary housing considerations, review DOL 

explanation of alternative housing arrangements in response 

to COVID-19.
15

Agricultural Employer Checklist Section 4: 

Special Considerations for Shared Transportation

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Provide as much space between riders as possible.

Group (or cohort) workers in the same crews and/or those sharing 

living quarters together when transporting.

Increase the number of vehicles and/or the frequency of trips.

Provide hand washing/sanitizing stations for use before riders enter 

a vehicle and when arriving at their destination.

Train riders to follow coughing and sneezing etiquette.

Encourage all vehicle occupants to wear cloth face coverings.

Clean and disinfect vehicles in accordance with CDC guidelines for 

non-emergency transport vehicles before and after each trip, 

or daily at a minimum.
16

Agricultural Employer Checklist Section 5: 

Special Considerations for Children

Item Completed Ongoing Not Started Not 

Applicable

Discourage the presence of youth at the worksite, and help protect 

youth farmworkers from COVID-19.

Encourage workers to send children to childcare while working.

Establish and enforce policies that restrict children from worksites.

If you hire youth farmworkers, ensure you are following labor laws

and assigning age-appropriate tasks, including those covered by 

child labor regulations.

Provide extra supervision and guidance to youth workers, 

emphasizing ways they can reduce their exposure to COVID-19.