USDA Released the following statement on Saturday: USDA Helps Cotton Producers Maintain, Expand Domestic Market (MEMPHIS, TN, March 3, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced at the 66th Annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking action to assist cotton producers through a Cotton [...]
So far, we are in communication with nine gins that have been inspected by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor this year. If you have been inspected by DOL this year, and have not communicated with us, please let us know right away. Hopefully, DOL has completed their inspections at this [...]
The Trust has sent us two additional safety alerts which we thought should be shared with all TCGA members. Please take a minute to review the publication below, and be sure to reinforce these issues with all of your workers during your next safety meeting at the gin. [...]
Inspectors from the Wage and Hour division of the Department of Labor are making the rounds again this year. So far they have visited seven gins that we know of. If you receive an inspection from DOL, please contact your association office as soon as possible. Last year we had twelve gins inspected. With the [...]
As has been the case for many years, February 1, 2018 is that date when you need to complete and post your 2017 OSHA 300A form. This form has to remain posted from February 1 until April 30. This form, as well as the instructions for filling it out and posting, is available by clicking [...]
As the ginning season in West Texas continues, we have seen two additional lint cleaner accidents which we thought should be shared with all TCGA members. Please take a minute to review the publication below, and be sure to reinforce these issues with all of your workers during your next safety meeting at the [...]
The FDA has announced that it does not intend to enforce certain provisions in four of the rules that implement their Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). One of these provisions directly affects cotton gins. TCGA and other cotton organizations have been arguing for some time now that gins do not provide any food related processing activities [...]
OSHA announced yesterday that they will continue accepting 2016 OSHA Form 300A data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) until midnight on December 31, 2017. OSHA stated they will not take enforcement action against those employers who submit their reports after the December 15, 2017, deadline but before December 31, 2017, final entry date. Starting [...]
As the ginning season in West Texas progresses, we have seen an uptick in accidents, resulting in lost-time injuries. OSHA has responded to several of these accidents. The Trust has issued two safety bulletins, which we thought should be shared with all TCGA members. Please take a minute to review the publications below, and [...]
The OSHA electronic reporting rule has been delayed several times this year. The most recent delay was at the end of November, moving the latest deadline to December 15. We are getting very close to that deadline, and have received no indications that it will be delayed again. Of course we will send out an alert immediately [...]
