As the world has experienced record heat this summeragricultural workers are a group that is just as vulnerable to the effects of climate change dangers of rising heat and sun exposure.
That’s why it’s encouraging to see a partnership between Emory University’s School of Nursing and the Georgia Institute of Technology – with support from the Farmworker Association of Florida – take a proactive approach the increasing risks for employees.
MIT Technology Review reported about their innovative solution: a sensor that monitors vital functions and can warn employees if they are on the edge of danger heat-related health problems.
The Emory research program’s work in farmworker health dates back to 2009, and the sensor project began in 2022 when the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences awarded the team a $2.46 million grant.
The sensor can monitor important data from the wearer, including skin temperature and heart rate. Importantly, the soft device does not interfere with the manual work of agricultural workers and can be worn comfortably around the chest for hours.
The group is currently working on using data from the sensor to help model the risk heat-related injuries. The goal is to provide an extra layer of protection since farmworkers are primarily responsible for their own health.
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For workers who are unavoidably exposed to the scorching heat For hours, dangerous consequences such as heat stroke are increasingly possible. Extreme weather like droughts And heat waves Are emerging because of our collective dependence on dirty energy and the global warming pollution it creates. The U.S. Landscape for Protecting Workers from the Impact of the overheating of the planet missing.
The Biden administration has done that suggested what would be the first federal heat protectionbut they have not yet been completed. There are similar frustrations at the state level. When Miami-Dade County tried to create heat protection, the Florida state government decided quickly sunk his efforts.
“The United States is particularly focused on educating workers about drinking water (and) the symptoms of heat-related illnesses,” said Roxana Chicas, an assistant professor at Emory, listed on MIT Technology Review.
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Farmworkers are also reluctant to raise their voices about their conditions. The majority of them are from Latin America and about half of them are undocumented, the Review said reported. These factors make it “difficult for (them) to say anything” because they don’t want to do anything that “could jeopardize their livelihood.” Chicas said. The fact that the FWAF is involved has helped, according to the report.
Chicas revealed that in the past, farmworkers persevered even when faced with severe headaches, dehydration, fever and early signs of kidney failure.
The FWAF project aims to do more than just protect against heat-related diseases. As part of this, participants can receive a general health screening that many miss due to minimal access to healthcare. The FWAF will help facilitate the care they need with free or low-cost providers.
FWAF research coordinator Ernesto Ruiz shared MIT Technology Review that “community-based participatory research cannot simply be extractive and elicit data and stories.”
“It has to give something back,” he added.
In the meantime, widespread deployment of the sensors in the fields could go a long way in sounding the alarm bells when farm workers need a break.
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