Heat-Related Illness among Oregon Farmworkers

Abstract

Farmworkers are particularly vulnerable to climate-sensitive health outcomes such as heat-related illness (HRI) given their tasks involve heavy exertion in an outdoor setting. The objectives of the study were to: (1) describe symptoms of HRI experienced by farmworkers and (2) explore factors associated with heat knowledge, level of concern regarding HRI, and comfort level taking breaks at work. Bilingual research staff conducted personal interviews of 100 farmworkers during July and August 2013. Data collected included demographics, work history and current work practices, trainings received, HRI symptoms experienced, health status, and health behaviors. Nearly 30% of participants reported experiencing ≥2 HRI symptoms during the previous work. Few participants had high level of heat knowledge (21.0%) and 15.6% of participants reported being “very concerned” about the health effects of working in hot conditions. Participants who were paid by the piece were more likely to have a high heat knowledge score and be “very concerned” about HRI but less likely to be “very comfortable” taking a break compared to workers paid by the hour than those who had not received HRI training. Results suggest several areas in which employers and agencies conducting outreach and education to the workers about HRI can change their practices including providing cooling measures and HRI training about risk factors for HRI.

Air temperature exposure and agricultural occupational injuries in the Autonomous Province of Trento (2000–2013, North-Eastern Italy)

“…always very flexible and a series of hot, warm days with reduced rainfalls increase the requirements for artificial irrigation, forcing AWs to perform their activities even during HWs [30,33,34,[45][46][47]. Not coincidentally, in our survey the daily average rate of OIs was similar from June to August, being higher in the calendar months of September and June, with the significant lack of effect for the central months of July and August, otherwise characterized by higher temperatures.…”

“…Available estimates suggest that the increased magnitude and frequency of extreme events would ultimately lead to a significant excess in morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and that the climate changes will presumptively increase both the incidence and the severity of these effects [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12], in particular in Mediterranean-like climates [13]. migrant background [33,34], part-time or seasonal workers, and "hobby farmers" (i.e., subjects running a farm as a hobby rather than as means of making a living), the number of which usually surges during hot moths and the harvest season, including subjects who otherwise spend little time outdoor [25,29,35]. Hence, many AWs may continue to work beyond a safe heat exposure limit as they are unaware of the risks associated with the heat exposure or have inappropriate knowledge of the preventive measures, as avoiding the hottest hours of the day for most strenuous physical exertion or increasing the water intake, in particular during the HWs [13,30].…”

Risco de exposição à sobrecarga térmica para trabalhadores da cultura de cana-de-açúcar no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

“…Há estudos que analisam os agravos ou alterações nas respostas fisiológicas de órgãos ou sistemas do corpo humano, relacionados à exposição ao calor 17,19,23,24,25,26 . Outros trabalhos associam o calor com aumento da taxa de morbidade e mortalidade 27,28 .…”

“…A sobrecarga térmica ocorre quando há desequilíbrio térmico do corpo, isto é, recebe mais calor do que pode dissipar, causando seu aquecimento acima de 38 º C. Quanto maior a temperatura do corpo, maiores são os efeitos fisiológicos provocados pelo calor. A permanência em condições térmicas desfavoráveis pode causar o estresse térmico, resultando em debilidade do estado geral de saúde, alterações das reações psicossensoriais e queda de produção 22 .Há estudos que analisam os agravos ou alterações nas respostas fisiológicas de órgãos ou sistemas do corpo humano, relacionados à exposição ao calor 17,19,23,24,25,26 . Outros trabalhos associam o calor com aumento da taxa de morbidade e mortalidade 27,28 .…”

Heat effects among migrant and seasonal farmworkers: a case study in Colorado

“…Mirabelli et al 13 reported that 94% and 40% of participants reported working in extreme heat and experiencing heat-related symptoms, respectively. Bethel and Harger14 showed that approximately 30% of participants reported having at least two heat-related symptoms. Fleischer et al 15 interviewed 405 migrant farmworkers in Georgia and reported one-third of participants experiencing three and more heat-related symptoms.…”