# Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Agriculture

Cal/OSHA issued 5,481 citations across 2,175 California agriculture inspections from 2020 through 2025 — more than any industry outside construction and manufacturing. Heat illness prevention is the most-cited standard; the IIPP is second.

Source: https://compliantca.com/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-agriculture/
Published: 2026-08-21
Updated: 2026-08-21
Publisher: CompliantCA — not a law firm; this is not legal advice.

Cal/OSHA publishes a statewide [top-ten list of frequently cited standards](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/statistics/Frequently-cited-standards.html) but no per-industry breakdown. This page is the agriculture cut, computed from the federal enforcement data that Cal/OSHA inspections flow into. The period is January 2020 through December 2025: **5,481 citations across 2,175 California agriculture inspections** (NAICS 11 — crop and animal production, forestry, fishing, and their support activities).

**Free IIPP template.** A fill-in Injury and Illness Prevention Program with plain-language prompts for each element §3203 names. PDF, no account.
[Request the template →](/request/iipp-template/?from=most-cited-cal-osha-violations-agriculture)
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## The top ten, 2020–2025 {#top-ten}

Citations counted per violation line item. Average penalty is the mean current penalty across the row's citations, including those reduced to $0; the range minimum is the smallest non-zero current penalty. Current penalties are as retrieved 2026-08-21 and change as cases settle.

| # | Standard | What it covers | Citations | Avg penalty | Penalty range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [§3395](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3395.html) | Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment | 1,038 | $1,662 | $50 – $36,000 |
| 2 | [§3203](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3203.html) | Injury and Illness Prevention Program | 798 | $1,791 | $50 – $70,000 |
| 3 | [§3457](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3457.html) | Field Sanitation | 386 | $568 | $50 – $1,500 |
| 4 | [§3314](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3314.html) | Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout) | 217 | $5,004 | $50 – $70,000 |
| 5 | [§342](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/342.html) | Reporting Work-Connected Fatalities and Serious Injuries | 188 | $3,793 | $1,000 – $10,000 |
| 6 | [§3441](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3441.html) | Operation of Agricultural Equipment | 179 | $8,271 | $110 – $36,000 |
| 7 | [§5162](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5162.html) | Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment | 122 | $1,343 | $50 – $7,310 |
| 8 | [§3439](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3439.html) | First-Aid Kit | 107 | $417 | $75 – $9,000 |
| 9 | [§3650](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3650.html) | Industrial Trucks | 94 | $3,928 | $135 – $18,000 |
| 10 | [§6151](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/6151.html) | Portable Fire Extinguishers | 91 | $191 | $75 – $900 |
| 11 | All other standards | 262 distinct sections outside the top ten | 2,261 | $2,396 | $35 – $36,000 |
| | **Total** | **All standards cited** | **5,481** | **$2,311** | **$35 – $70,000** |

## Reading the table {#reading-the-table}

**Heat is the defining standard.** [§3395](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3395.html) requires water, shade, cool-down rest, acclimatization procedures, and written procedures for all outdoor employment — and agriculture is on its high-heat-procedures list. Its 1,038 citations are the most for any single standard on this page.

**The welfare basics fill the top rows.** Field sanitation ([§3457](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3457.html) — toilets, washing water, drinking water), the first-aid kit ([§3439](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3439.html) — adequate materials at headquarters or on worker transport), and eyewash where corrosives are handled ([§5162](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5162.html)). These are low-average-penalty, high-frequency rows — conditions checkable in a morning.

**The machinery rows carry the money.** [§3441](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3441.html), the operation of agricultural equipment, has the highest average penalty in the table at $8,271; [§3314](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3314.html), the control of hazardous energy during servicing, averages $5,004; and forklifts ([§3650](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3650.html)) average $3,928.

**The IIPP is second — and it is a records standard.** [§3203](https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3203.html) asks for a written program, scheduled inspections with records, and training documentation. Our [Cal/OSHA IIPP guide](/guides/cal-osha-iipp/) walks every element.

## Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations by Industry {#other-industries}

- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Construction](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-construction/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Manufacturing](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-manufacturing/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Restaurants](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-restaurants/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Landscaping](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-landscaping/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Auto Repair](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-auto-repair/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Trucking and Warehousing](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-trucking-warehousing/)
- [Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Health Care](/guides/most-cited-cal-osha-violations-healthcare/)

## Methodology {#methodology}

Computed from the [U.S. Department of Labor enforcement dataset](https://dataportal.dol.gov/) (the OSHA Information System), which includes Cal/OSHA because California operates an OSHA-approved State Plan. Scope: citation line items on California inspections with NAICS codes beginning 11, issuance dates January 2020 through December 2025, excluding citation records deleted in the source data. Data as retrieved 2026-08-21; counts change as cases settle and records are amended. Cal/OSHA's own statewide summaries are at [DIR's citation statistics pages](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/Citation-statistics.html).

A citation count says what inspectors cited, not what any employer must do — the standards themselves say that. Each section above links to its full text.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the most cited Cal/OSHA standard in agriculture?

8 CCR §3395, Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment — 1,038 citations on California agriculture inspections from 2020 through 2025 in the federal enforcement data. §3203, the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, is second with 798.

### Do farms need an IIPP in California?

8 CCR §3203 requires every California employer to establish, implement, and maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program, and it is the second most-cited standard on agriculture inspections in this data. Agriculture also carries its own first-aid section, §3439, which requires adequate first-aid materials at farm headquarters or on worker transportation buses.

### Which agriculture citations carry the largest average penalty?

In this data, §3441 — Operation of Agricultural Equipment — averages $8,271 per citation, the highest of agriculture's top ten. §3314, the control of hazardous energy during servicing of machinery, averages $5,004.