John Shutske says the two exceptions are the regulations that pertain to restricted use pesticides and those that employers of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers must follow.
Most producers are keenly aware of the state and federal regulations for pesticide use.
However, there is a lack of information about the basic regulations that have been put into place to protect the health and safety rights of the state's estimated 20,000 migrant farmworkers and their families. Often, workers themselves are not aware of their rights under these regulations. Federal Department of Labor standards that have been around for more than 20 years state every worker in the U.S. has the basic right to work in an environment that is free of recognized hazards likely to cause serious injury or death. Minnesota state law also requires that all businesses, including farms with employees, have a written safety program in place. This program must specify the measures farm employers will take to prevent worker injuries and health problems, including proper training and hazard identification.