Local farm fined by NC Department of Labor

ASHE COUNTY — A local Christmas tree farm has been cited and fined $3,800 by the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division for a pair of violations in regards to worker safety.

According to a copy of the citation and notification of penalty obtained from the NC Department of Labor, Sexton Management Company, LLC, based in Jefferson, was cited for one “serious violation” and one “non-serious violation.”

Erin Wilson, the NC Department of Labor Director of Communication, said that a complaint was received by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division on July 3. According to the citation, subsequent inspections followed between the dates of July 9 and July 26. The citation and notification of penalty was officially issued on Aug. 1.

The serious violations that occurred stated that “potable water was not provided and placed in locations readily accessible to all employees.”

One such violation occurred at a pumpkin field located on U.S. Highway 221 North near Sparta where “potable water was not readily accessible for 14 farmworkers.” The citation stated that the nearest water was located approximately a half-mile from where the workers were spraying herbicide. Other similar violations were reported at various Christmas tree and pumpkin fields in Ashe and Alleghany counties where “potable water was not provided for farmworkers performing various hand labor activities such as planting, pruning and applying pesticides.” Sexton Management, LLC was fined $2,600 for this violation.

The “non-serious” violation occurred at the same pumpkin field near Sparta where portable toilets and hand washing facilities were not located within a quarter-mile for 14 farmworkers that were in the fields spraying herbicide. Sexton Management, LLC was fined $1,200 for this violation.

According to the citation, the farm locations had 15 working days to correct the violations.