Maria Cruz Develops Heat Stress Recommendations for Farmworkers

Boise State University undergraduate student Maria Cruz worked with CAHL post-doctoral researcher Dr. Carly Hyland and other local organizations to develop materials to help farmworkers prevent heat stress. Review this page for their information on heat stress, workplace and individual recommendations, and to download a printable Heat Stress Interventions poster. Posters are provided in both English and Spanish.

 

Heat Stress Is…

A problem when the body gets too hot and can’t cool down properly. This is common in outdoor jobs such as agriculture because most of the work is done under direct sunlight. Hard work among other factors can increase heat risk. To manage and prevent heat stress, here are a few ways to help!

Workplace Recommendations

Agricultural employers should…

1. Provide training on heat education and awareness
2. Provide rest and shade
3. Provide cooling interventions
4. Allow workplace modifications

Provide training on heat education and awareness

• Provide training on types of heat-related illnesses, risk factors, preventions, and treatments
• Gain information on what to look for and what to do when

Provide rest and shade

• Provide scheduled rest in mobile shaded areas
• Provide water in coolers for resting

Provide cooling interventions

• Provide bandanas = aren’t heavy and allows workers to move freely
• Used around neck area, helping maintain a core body temperature around 38 degrees Celsius

Allow workplace modifications

• Allow Adjusted Work Hours: working in cooler parts of day
• Allow Task Rotation: rotating to avoid getting tired from same task
• Allow Workload Management: slowing down or working fewer hours

Individual-Level Recommendations

What you can do…

1. Hydration
2. Clothing
3. Teamwork

Hydration

• Thirsty = dehydrated
• Drink water and maintain electrolyte balance
• Monitor pee color and smell
• Avoid energy drinks and alcohol

Clothing

• Wear thin and light, breathable clothes to help body stay cool. Thicker clothing traps heat and make you feel hotter
• Broad-brimmed hats gives shade and protect the head from high heat

Teamwork

• Help monitor each other by recognizing heat-related illness symptoms
• Can seek medical help when needed or work together to provide first aid
• In case of emergency or heat stroke, call 9-1-1 and inform supervisor

Worried about working conditions?

If you’re worried about working conditions, you can reach out to the following contacts and websites.

Contacts

• The Idaho Organization of Research Council: admin@iorcinfo.org
• Curl Agricultural Health Lab: CAHL@boisestate.edu
• Latinx Farmworkers of SouthernIdaho: latinxfarmworkersofid@gmail.com
• IG: latinxfarmworkers_Idaho
• FB: Latinx farmworkers of SouthernIdaho

Websites

• Heat Stress – Recommendations from NIOSH
• Preventing Heat Stress in Agriculture from US EPA
• Heat Stress Guide from Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Heat and Health
• Extreme Heat Safety from the Red Cross