Foster City, CA – Cal/OSHA recenlty cited two employers in Half Moon Bay following an investigation into workplace violence that killed seven agricultural workers on January 23, 2023.
Cal/OSHA cited California Terra Garden, Inc. for 22 violations, including five classified as serious and one classified as serious accident-related for failing to have a plan or procedures to immediately notify employees of an active shooter threat and instruct them to seek shelter. Total proposed penalties are $113,800 (PDF).
Concord Farms Inc. was cited for 19 violations, three of them serious, including failure to address previous incidents of workplace violence and develop procedures to correct and prevent this hazard. Total proposed penalties are $51,770 (PDF).
Both employers were cited for failing to establish a workplace safety plan that evaluated the threat of workplace violence and train workers in a language they can understand. Both employers were also cited for failure to secure labor camp permits for onsite worker housing.
A former employee of California Terra Garden, who also previously worked at Concord Farms, is accused of shooting and killing four workers and wounding a fifth at California Terra Garden on January 23 before driving to nearby Concord Farms and fatally shooting three workers there. Other state agencies continue to investigate at the worksites, which may result in additional enforcement actions.
Cal/OSHA has general industry workplace violence tools on its webpage for employers and employees.
Source: CA DIR