FWEDA: Cal/OSHA Delivers Blow to Autonomous Tractors with Petition Denial

Jun 23, 2022

California’s Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (OSHSB) delivered a blow to advancing autonomous equipment in the state. The board voted 4-3 at its June 16 meeting to reject Monarch Tractor’s Petition 596 to amend the state labor code that would “allow for the use of driver optional tractors without a human operator stationed at the vehicular controls within a strict set of safety guidelines.”

Cal/OSHA denied a similar Petition 571 brought by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in 2019, citing many of the same reasons. Far West Equipment Dealers Association (FWEDA) joined a coalition of agricultural interests, including producers, supporting the petition to advance the use of autonomous equipment to improve worker safety, and address labor shortages and an increasing demand for emerging agricultural technology that offers sustainable career development for the future. Growers say driverless equipment would allow them to increase productivity with efficiency and continuous 24-hour operations.

“This is a significant setback in deploying real-world solutions to improve worker safety, increase productivity and adapt emerging technology,” FWEDA President & CEO Joani Woelfel said.

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Video: 360,000 Hectares of Farming, Robots, Crop Planes & Cotton Factories

We visit an extraordinary farming operation covering 360,000 hectares, showcasing just how advanced and large-scale modern agriculture can be.

From robotic sprayers and plane-based crop spraying, to autonomous Horsch seeders and advanced weather monitoring systems, this farm demonstrates how technology is transforming efficiency and decision-making across vast acreages.

We explore the diversity of production, including peanuts, cotton and cattle, alongside refrigerated seed storage and on-site cotton processing facilities where fibre is cleaned, tested and prepared for market. We also see how logistics such as refuelling, refilling and machinery management are organised to keep operations running smoothly at this scale.

With virtual agronomy tools, precision equipment and autonomous machinery working together, this is a fascinating insight into how some of the world’s largest farms operate.