Migrant Farmworker Field and Camp Safety and Sanitation in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract

Migrant farmworkers are exposed to numerous workplace hazards, with pesticides being a ubiquitous occupational exposure. This analysis describes farmworker experiences of field and camp safety conditions and their safety behaviors, and delineates farmworker characteristics associated with safety conditions and behaviors. Data were collected from 255 migrant farmworkers up to four times at monthly intervals during the 2007 agricultural season in eastern North Carolina. Measures assess field safety conditions and camp sanitation required by federal and state regulations. Most of the farmworkers were Latino men from Mexico. About 20% had not received pesticide safety training across the season; many of those who received such training did not understand it. Water for washing was not available for about one-third of the workers; soap and towels were not available for over half. About 20% lived in camps with more than eight workers per showerhead and about 20% lived in camps that failed to meet the standard of 30 or fewer workers per washtub/washing machine. Important predictors of variation included H2A visa status and years of experience. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) safety regulations are not consistently met; (2) farmworkers do not always practice safety behaviors; (3) camps become more crowded and less compliant during the middle of the agricultural season; and (4) workers with H2A visas experience better conditions and practice more safety behaviors than do workers who do not have H2A visas. Further research needs to account for social and cultural factors. Regulations should be compared with pesticide metabolite levels to measure their effectiveness. More effort is needed to enforce existing regulations.

Practices in Pesticide Handling and the Use of Personal Protective Equipment in Mexican Agricultural Workers

“…However, these results are valid for large businesses only, because by law, employers are required to protect workers from pesticide exposure. 8 In smaller businesses, the individual workers are the ones who take the protective measures, and the decision to use the PPE depends on their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. 27 In a cultural context like the one existing in Mexico, some authors have referred to "Hispanic fatalism," that is, the perception that individuals have little control over whether they develop, or die from, a disease.…”

Hydration and Cooling Practices Among Farmworkers in Oregon and Washington

“…Although compliance with the WPS training requirement has not been fully evaluated, results from studies in California, North Carolina, and Texas show the percentage of workers ever receiving pesticide training ranging from 35.2% to 76.8%. 15–18 …”

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

“…Mirabelli et al 13 reported changes in work hours and activities during hot conditions were associated with a lower prevalence of heat illness among workers with H-2A visas, but not among non-H-2A workers. Also, Whalley et al 30 reported that workers with H-2A visas experience better conditions and practice more safety behaviours than do workers who do not have H-2A visas. Farmworkers with H-2A visas may work for agricultural employers seeking to hire temporary agricultural workers, usually in relation to the production and/or harvesting of a crop, or for a limited time period of less than one year when an employer can show that the need for the foreign workers(s) is truly temporary 31…”