The United Farm Workers, UFW Foundation and La Union del Pueblo Entero are urging the Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promptly implement permanent rules on heat protection standards for outdoor workers. This call to action comes in the wake of a number of heat-inflicted deaths among farm workers, who are often exposed to dangerously high temperatures due to the nature of their work, making them vulnerable to heat illnesses and fatalities.
These organizations are showing their support for the reintroduction of the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Safety and Prevention Act, named after a California farm worker who died from extreme heat while harvesting grapes in 2004.
In response to these pressing concerns, UFW Foundation Chief Executive Officer Diana Tellefson Torres stated, “Farm workers are at the frontlines of climate change as extreme heat continues to expose them to more danger. We must prevent heat-related deaths and we can do so by establishing a permanent heat standard that provides workers access to shade, paid rest breaks, training, and water.”
From a legal perspective, focusing on personal injury, this situation underscores the essential role of workplace safety regulations in protecting workers from preventable harm. Especially in industries like agriculture, where workers are often exposed to harsh environmental conditions, it is crucial that appropriate measures are enacted and enforced to secure their wellbeing.