Cal/OSHA hosts heat prevention training for farmers in Fresno County
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Cal/OSHA partners with local organizations and hosts a heat illness prevention training session for Ag workers in Fresno County.
The goal is to remind employers to protect their workers from heat illness.
Cal/OSHA says they host these kinds of events three times a year.
As temperatures are rising in the Central Valley, the government agency says this is a perfect time to host a heat-illness prevention session.
It is a sunny Friday afternoon, and farmworkers are out, producing fruits and vegetables for grocery stores across the nation.
When it is hot out, they say they take measures to protect themselves from getting a heat illness.
“We wear hats to cover ourselves,” said a farmworker working in Easton. “We drink lots of water and electrolytes because we do not want to get dehydrated.”
Agriculture companies, nonprofits, and more agree with farmworkers.
In response, Cal/OSHA teamed up with countless organizations to provide education and guidance for growers, farm labor contractors, and crew leaders on heat illness prevention.
“Every year in California, workers have died from heat illness,” said David Hornung with Cal/OSHA. “So today’s event is to try to prevent anybody from dying or getting sick from heat illness.”
The heat illness prevention training session was held at the Portuguese Hall in Easton on Friday morning.
N-95 masks were given out to protect farmworkers from Valley Fever and potential wildfire smoke.
Officials shared farmworker rights, and what necessities are needed while workers are working out in the heat.
“There’s a shade trailer and they have those,” said Nisei Farmers League President Manuel Cunha. “And so those go right in the morning. So they’re available with the shade, trailer, water, cool water, plenty of water and in a restroom is making sure the restrooms are there as well.”
Labor contractors like Sun Valley Packing were at the training session.
They say they will continue to protect their farmworkers and do their part because they say it saves lives.
“There’s a lot of little pamphlets that are given to us and postings, and we share this with employees and we have them posted in our, you know, workplace and around all the areas,” said Yessenia Reyes. “And so, yeah, we make everything, as you know, readily accessible to employees in both English and Spanish.”
Farmworkers who have more questions on heat illness prevention can contact their employer- or Cal/OSHA. To contact Cal/OSHA, click here.
