Blissfield, MI – A fine that was levied against a Blissfield area farm after the owner died from a fall off of a barn roof in 2019 sparked a bill, introduced by Representative Bronna Kahle, that would protect family farmers.
Under current law, if a fatality happens on a family farm and the family does not report it to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration in eight hours, the family faces a $5,000 fine.
That’s what happened to E.G.A., Incorporated, a family farm located in Blissfield Township, after owner Keith Eisenmann died while repairing a roof on his property.
Kahle’s legislation would increase the time families have to report the incident from eight hours to seven days. It also amends the civil penalty for failure to report the death within that time to $500, rather than the current $5,000.
The legislation, House Bill 4031, was referred to the Agriculture Committee for consideration.
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