The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries is focusing on worker safety on farms with the launch of a new 16-member inspection team.

The Agriculture Compliance Unit includes 13 inspectors who will visit work sites and investigate complaints about compliance with workplace safety requirements for farms. The team also includes three people who will provide education and outreach to employers and employees.

The team is led by Steve Yunker, a longtime safety expert for the state agency. It is expected to be in place by the end of the 2021 growing and harvest season.

“The health and safety of workers is precious and must never be taken lightly,” said Craig Blackwood, acting assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). “We’ve made real strides toward improving safety in the agriculture industry in our state, but there’s a lot of work ahead. This new team will take our efforts to the next level.”

Funding was approved in the state budget signed in May by Gov. Jay Inslee.

The team reflects an increase in fatalities in 2020, an industry L&I called one of the “largest and most dangerous” on Washington. Workers operate heavy machinery and work with chemicals, livestock and in contained spaces such as silos. They also are exposed to inclement weather, noise and dust.

L&I conducted 433 agriculture inspections in 2020 and cited employers for more than 500 violations. There were 14 farmworker fatalities in 2020, four more than 2019.

Three fatalities were caused by Covid-19. The rest were the result of tractor rollovers and machinery-related incidents that L&I said could have been prevented.

The team will work on a statewide basis rather than by region.

“Having inspectors who are laser-focused on farming should go a long way toward saving lives, preventing injuries and decreasing lost labor time,” Blackwood said.

L&I offers free resources to ensure compliance, including its WISHA 10 for Agriculture training and confidential, no-fee advising.

Go to lni.wa.gov.