In the United States, farm workers die from heat-related illness at an annual rate 20 times that of other workers. However, few studies have measured heat conditions at their actual work settings, and research is limited on how accurately regional weather reports reflect worksite temperatures.
The climate of outdoor worksites, such as farms, can differ from that of surrounding areas due to the sun’s energy, or solar radiation, wind speed, soil temperature, and other conditions. However, most recent studies on heat conditions affecting U.S. farm workers focus on regional weather reports. Can these reports accurately predict temperatures at specific farms? According to a NIOSH-funded study at Emory University published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineExternal, they can.