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.
Cal/OSHA publishes a statewide top-ten list of frequently cited standards 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 →
The top ten, 2020–2025
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 | Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment | 1,038 | $1,662 | $50 – $36,000 |
| 2 | §3203 | Injury and Illness Prevention Program | 798 | $1,791 | $50 – $70,000 |
| 3 | §3457 | Field Sanitation | 386 | $568 | $50 – $1,500 |
| 4 | §3314 | Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout) | 217 | $5,004 | $50 – $70,000 |
| 5 | §342 | Reporting Work-Connected Fatalities and Serious Injuries | 188 | $3,793 | $1,000 – $10,000 |
| 6 | §3441 | Operation of Agricultural Equipment | 179 | $8,271 | $110 – $36,000 |
| 7 | §5162 | Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment | 122 | $1,343 | $50 – $7,310 |
| 8 | §3439 | First-Aid Kit | 107 | $417 | $75 – $9,000 |
| 9 | §3650 | Industrial Trucks | 94 | $3,928 | $135 – $18,000 |
| 10 | §6151 | 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
Heat is the defining standard. §3395 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 — toilets, washing water, drinking water), the first-aid kit (§3439 — adequate materials at headquarters or on worker transport), and eyewash where corrosives are handled (§5162). These are low-average-penalty, high-frequency rows — conditions checkable in a morning.
The machinery rows carry the money. §3441, the operation of agricultural equipment, has the highest average penalty in the table at $8,271; §3314, the control of hazardous energy during servicing, averages $5,004; and forklifts (§3650) average $3,928.
The IIPP is second — and it is a records standard. §3203 asks for a written program, scheduled inspections with records, and training documentation. Our Cal/OSHA IIPP guide walks every element.
Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations by Industry
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Construction
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Manufacturing
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Restaurants
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Landscaping
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Auto Repair
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Trucking and Warehousing
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Health Care
Methodology
Computed from the U.S. Department of Labor enforcement dataset (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.
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.