Preventing Heat Illness for Farmworkers

GO TO WGCU DOT ORG FOR WGCU NEWS I'M MIKE BRAUN. >> THE QUEST TO STAY COOL IS A DAILY ONE FOR FARMWORKERS IN FLORIDA. IT CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. NOW NEW PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE HYDRATION IS A TOP PRIORITY. WGCUS EILEEN KELLY REPORTS ON THE LATEST HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS MEASURE FROM THE COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS, SIGNATURE WORKER PROTECTION PROGRAM. >> HOURS OF REPETITIVE PENDING HEAVY LIFTING, CONSTANT STANDING AND FIGURE US PULLING IS GRUELING ON THE BODY EXPECIALLY UNDER THE RELENTLESS SOME. THE SCORCHING HEAT PUTS FARMERS AT RISK OF DEHYDRATION AND HEAT STROKE FOR DECADES. THE COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS HAS DEMANDED SHADE AND WATER BREAKS FOR FARMWORKERS. AND AS OF AUGUST 1ST, HERE IS ANOTHER ADDED LAYER OF PROTECTION FOR SOME 25,000 FARM WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO WORK FOR GROWERS PARTICIPATING IN THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM. THOSE GROWERS MUST NOW PROVIDE ELECTROLYTE BEVERAGES OR SUPPLEMENTS TO WORKERS. THE NEW REQUIREMENT REFLECTS A GROWING BODY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SHOWING THAT PROLONGED HEAT EXPOSURE CAN CONTRIBUTE NOT ONLY TO ACUTE HEAT ILLNESSES BUT LONG-TERM KIDNEY DAMAGE AND OTHER CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. RESEARCH INCREASINGLY IDENTIFIES ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT ALONGSIDE WATER SHADE AND REST AS CRITICAL PREVENTING HEAT RELATED ILLNESS AMONG OUTDOOR WORKERS. I SPOKE WITH LILLIAN SUPPLE TO SHE'S THE CO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE FAIR FOOD STANDARDS COUNCIL, WHICH MONITORS THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM. SHE TELLS ME THAT THIS NEW REQUIREMENT IS NOT JUST FOR SCORCHING MONTHS LIKE AUGUST ELECTROLYTES MUST NOW BE OFFERED YEAR-ROUND BECAUSE OF THE PHYSICAL DEMAND ON THE BODY CAUSED BY FARM WORK BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE WORK. >> AGRICULTURALLY WORK PLACES, EXTRAORDINARY, PHYSICALLY DEMANDS ON WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE GROWING SEASON. NOT JUST DURING ALL RIGHT, WAY SO THE LIGHTING ELECTROLYTES YOU AROUND THE FLEX, THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM'S COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE STANDARDS, AUS NEW SCIENCE EMERGES. >> ELECT TO LIE TO LIKE SPARK PLUGS FOR THE BODY CARRYING ELECTRICAL SIGNALS AND MAKING MUSCLES MOVE AND HARD SPEIGHT, HEAVY SWEATING, DEPLETES THE BODY'S OF ESSENTIAL MINERALS. LIKE SODIUM POTASSIUM, MAGNESIUM, AND CALCIUM. COMMON SIGNS OF ELECTROLYTE LOSS OR MUSCLE CRAMPS. SPASMS EXTREME FATIGUE, DIZZINESS, HEADACHES, BRAIN FOG AND NAUSEA OR VOMITING. SEVERE SYMPTOMS OF ELECTROLYTE LOSS. IT'S A REGULAR HEARTBEAT, CONFUSION, SEIZURE AND LIFE-THREATENING ORGAN STRESS, THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM WAS CREATED BY THE COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS IN 2011, IT PARTNERS FARMWORKERS AGRICULTURAL GROWERS AND MAJOR RETAIL FOOD COMPANIES TO ENSURE FAIR WAGES, SAFE, WORKING CONDITIONS AND 0 TOLERANCE FOR FORCED LABOR AND ABUSE. IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS THE GOLD STANDARD FOR FARM WORKER PROTECTION AND RESPONSIBLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ROOTED IN HUMAN RIGHTS. >> FAIR FOOD PROGRAM DEMONSTRATES THAT PROTECTING WORKERS FROM IS NOT A FEW LITTLE POLICY DEBATE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE TODAY. AND THIS BEING DONE TODAY, SHE SAYS THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM HAS TRANSFORMED CONDITIONS. >> PARTICIPATING FARMS EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATING FORCED LABOR, VIOLENCE AND OTHER LABOR ABUSES AT PARTICIPATING FARMS. >> THE FUNDS ARE NOT PART OF THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM IS. I FEEL LIKE IT'S IT'S A DIFFERENT POLL OF WORLD WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE HEAT STRESS PROTECTIONS ARE BROADER PROTECTIONS THAT SUPPORT WORKERS, HEALTH, JUST LABOR IN GENERAL. >> WGCU NEWS. THIS IS EILEEN KELLY. >> HERE'S ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. ACCORDING TO THE CENTER FOR MIGRATION STUDIES FLORIDA HAS MORE THAN 100,000 FARM WORKERS OVER THE SPAN OF A YEAR 50 TO 60,000. OUR H 2, A TEMPORARY VISA HOLDERS. THE EXACT NUMBER CHANGES ANNUALLY BASED ON SEASONAL NEEDS AND CROP SIZES, YOU CAN FIND MORE FEATURES ON FLORIDA INDUSTRY BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE.