Five on Friday: Heat Wave

Thu, 07/12/2018 | by MCN Admin

MCN Five on Friday Farmworkers in sun

It’s hot. Record-breaking temperatures in pockets around the country remind us that summer is in full swing -- and it’s more intense than it used to be, thanks to climate change. As the Environmental Protection Agency noted in 2016: “Unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common across the contiguous 48 states in recent decades... and extreme heat events (heat waves) are expected to become longer, more frequent, and more intense in the future. As a result, the risk of heat-related deaths and illness is also expected to increase.” Climate change is a major driver of health risks for mobile agricultural workers. Read our Heat Stress page to learn more and access resources. Here are a few news reports that crossed our desks on how heat can impact our patients:

Young Farmworker Killed by Heat

Amy, Director of Environmental and Occupational Health, shared a story with a too-common headline: Farmworker, 24, dies after collapsing in field.

Limiting Heat Exposure of Outdoor Workers

Amy also shared a new MMRW: Evaluation of Occupational Exposure Limits for Heat Stress in Outdoor Workers.

Updated OSHA Heat Safety Tool

Alma, Senior Program Manager, shared the updated OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool, available in Spanish.

Deaths from Heat Stress in Desert Crossings

Monique, Health Network Intern, shared the New York Times article, “Cages Are Cruel. The Desert Is, Too,” about the many deaths related to heat stress as people try to cross the border.