Wednesday, July 28 via ZOOM
5:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Agriculture Work and Heat Exposure
Presenter: Ms Sammie Trvalik
Dear Members and Friends of WHWB-US Branch,We are delighted to have a presentation addressing excess heat exposure among farmworkers-- the presentation will be by Ms. Sammie Trvalik and will be hosted by the GWU-WHWB-US student chapter. The abstract below was accepted for presentation at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) meeting August 23-26 at Columbia University ( Home | ISEE 2021 / 33rd Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology). We will invite feedback on the talk so we can incorporate edits and improvements for the ISEE meeting. Also, we will welcome your questions about starting a WHWB-US student chapter.
Title: Impacts of Extreme Heat on Agricultural Worker Health: Economic Impact and Policy Implications. Arcadia Trvalik@, Sammie Trvalik+, Neve Brennan+, Alexis Carson$, Mary O'Reilly#, David F. Goldsmith$ [@ Johns Hopkins Univ School of Public Health; +Dickinson College; $George Washington Univ School of Public Health; #SUNY Albany School of Public Health]
Background: Extreme heat is known to severely affect human health, resulting in heat rash, heat exhaustion, acute kidney injury (AKI), mental health challenges, and even fatal conditions such as heat stroke. The existing regulations that protect agricultural workers against exposure to days of unsafe levels of heat in the workplace, which are forecasted to increase in severity and frequency with increasing wildfires in the next decade, are insufficient to meet the rapidly evolving challenge of extreme heat exposure. U.S. agricultural production, and reliant sectors, contribute $1.1 trillion to the U.S. GDP. The economic and health impacts of failing to adapt and enforce protective policies, resulting in workplace absenteeism and worker hospitalizations, could result in profit losses, changes to food production, and increased food prices.
Objective: This peer-reviewed literature review examined the effects of extreme heat exposure on health in agricultural workers, and the areas in which existing policy must be adapted for future heat projections.
Results: Policy interventions to create protections for these workers include provision of climate-controlled rest areas, adequate housing, hydration, health training, and appropriate workplace attire for agricultural workers. Considerations should also be made to other high-heat occupations (such as firefighters).
Conclusions: For a 2-4 degree Celsius temperature increase by approximately 2050-2100, the proportion of unsafe working days in the United States growing season range from 25-40%. Existing policy must be updated to reflect rapidly approaching, drastic changes to heat patterns.