California inspectors shut down a Bakersfield watermelon harvesting operation over alleged violations of heat safety regulations, reports Bakersfield.com.
Officials from the multi-agency enforcement team reported 17 employees of Uri Brothers Farm Inc. were working in temperatures above 90 degrees with no access to shade and no cups for water. The company is based in Bakersfield, Calif.
A company spokesman told Bakersfield.com, “I guess most of those things may be true, but not all of them.”
While an investigation could take up to six months, and could lead to fines, the watermelon operation could resume soon if the company meets state requirements, said a spokeswoman with the state Department of Industrial Relations.
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