The North Carolina Department of Labor has fined a farm in Nash County nearly $190,000 after the death of a seasonal farm worker last September.
The department cited Barnes Farming with what’s called a willful serious violation, along with two other violations.
The day 29-year-old Jose Arturo Gonzalez Mendoza of Guanajuato, Mexico died, the heat index was in the high 90s. He had started working at the farm in Spring Hope about 90 miles east of Raleigh less than two weeks before.
The citation says Barnes Farming did not take adequate measures to protect employees from heat-related illness and scheduled just one 5-minute break for the six-hour day. Shaded or cool areas were not provided for those breaks, and while a 10-gallon cooler was available, there were no cups so employees had to place their head under the spigot to drink.
The citation says there was also no protocol for administering first-aid or calling emergency responders for workers with signs of heat related illness.
According to the department, Gonzalez Mendoza was harvesting sweet potatoes in direct sunlight when he began to show signs of illness – including confusion, fatigue, and loss of consciousness. He died about an hour later, while still at the field.
Barnes Farming has 15 days to appeal or pay the penalty.
