North Carolina, Raleigh- Heat stroke in agricultural workers is becoming more frequent ashe advances summer and temperatures increase.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the heatstroke is the health problem most serious related to high temperatures that can occur to a worker.
Heat stroke occurs when the body cannot regulate its own temperature reaching critical levels of more than 104° F or 40° C. It is a medical emergency that can result in death. For this reason, in the event of heat stroke, it is essential to receive urgent medical attention.
What are the symptoms of heat stroke?
The main signs of heat stroke are the following:
- Very high body temperature
- Red, dry skin
- Fainting
- Threw up
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
What to do if a farm worker shows signs of possible heat stroke?
If a worker shows signs of possible heat stroke, it is essential to seek medical help immediately and call 911. Until medical help arrives, specialists recommend moving the worker to a cool, shaded area.. It is also important Remove as much of his clothing as possible. Never leave him alone.
It is also advisable to moisten the worker with cold water and circulate the air to accelerate cooling. Another suggestion to lower his body temperature is to place cold damp cloths, wet towels, or ice all over his body. Also soak the worker's clothing with cold water.
How does prevent heat stroke in agricultural work?
Preventing heat stroke in agricultural workers is possible. Workers who have not recently been in hot environments will need time to acclimatize. For this reason, it is important that exposure to heat be gradual.
On the other hand, specialists also recommend hydrating with adequate fluids (for example, water or sports drinks, but not soda), working shorter shifts, taking frequent breaks, and quickly identifying any symptoms of heat illness.
Workers' rights: free medical care
Although receiving medical attention for heat stroke in agricultural workers can be the difference between life and death, in some cases people avoid calling 911 for fear of receiving a bill for the service.
However, as explained to Enlace Latino NC Lori Johnson, managing attorney at Legal Aid, “Medical care, including an ambulance bill, may be covered by workers' compensation if heat stroke is determined to be work-related and the employer has workers' compensation insurance. workers.”
In these cases, immigration status is not even relevant: both workers with visas, citizens and undocumented workers are covered. “Undocumented immigration status does not prevent an injured worker from receiving medical care and other benefits,” the lawyer said.
H-2A workers, for their part, will always have coverage because their employers must provide it in order to participate in the federal program that allows them to hire day laborers under that modality.
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Workers rights
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine demonstrates the direct relationship between working conditions and heat stroke in agricultural workers.
This is the research titled “Public health impact of heat-related illnesses among migrant agricultural workers.” The study revealed that more than a third of the 405 farmworkers surveyed had experienced three or more symptoms of heat-related illnesses in the previous week.
In many cases, migrant farmworkers were unable to prevent heat-related illnesses due to lack of prevention training, lack of regular breaks, lack of shaded areas, and lack of medical care.
Research has shown that heat-related illnesses could be reduced if breaks in the shade were increased; and access to medical care.
Regarding the rights of agricultural workers, Ben Botts, legal director of the Center for Migrant Rights, explained to Enlace Latino NC that, while OSHA has not established a specific federal rule related to heat, it does have a “general obligation clause” that must be followed in all states. The clause requires employers to provide workplaces “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
For that reason, OSHA can issue citations to employers who do not adequately protect their workers from the heat.
Specifically in North Carolina, Lori Johnson indicated that agricultural employers must provide adequately cold drinking water placed in easily accessible locations. This must be dispensed with individual, single-use cups. In addition, workers must be given reasonable opportunities during the workday to use these facilities.
Employers who do not comply with this obligation can be reported to the Department of Labor. There are also special protections against retaliation for workers who file a complaint.
Risks
Contrary to what many people believe, OSHA explains that extreme temperatures are not the only risk factor for suffering heat stroke.
Between 50% and 70% of outdoor deaths occur in the first days of working in hot environments. The reason for this phenomenon is that the body needs to develop a tolerance to heat gradually over time. The process of building tolerance is called “heat acclimatization.”
For this reason, lack of acclimatization represents an important risk factor for fatal outcome. But in addition to high temperatures and lack of acclimatization, there are other risk factors for agricultural workers. For example, intense physical activity and wearing clothing that retains body heat.
Additionally, it is important to note that hot work environments are not just those outdoors. The factories in which many agricultural workers carry out their tasks can also be sources of heat.
In the same sense, the farm workers housing They can represent a danger. In fact, a study conducted in North Carolina by the Wake Forest School of Medicine revealed the very high temperatures to which indoor workers are exposed.
According to the study, 44.4% of homes deserved “extreme caution” due to temperatures between 90°F (32°C) and 105°F (40°C). In addition, 8.3% of agricultural worker homes were directly classified as “hazardous” for exceeding 105°F (40°C) inside.
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