Heat Stress
Heat stress occurs when the body can no longer cool itself effectively. Without early recognition and action, it can progress from mild symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and muscle cramps to heat exhaustion or even life-threatening heat stroke if left untreated.
By mid-summer, many farm workers have already experienced long days of working in hot and humid conditions. Even for experienced and acclimatized workers, heat stress remains a serious hazard that can develop quickly during physically demanding work outdoors, in greenhouses, or in barns.
Heat Stress Tailgate Talk: A Mid-Season Safety Reminder for Farm Workers
To help keep workers safe during the hottest part of the season, OFA has created this Tailgate Talk as a quick mid-season refresher on heat stress.
Designed to be delivered quickly before work begins, it reinforces the key steps workers can take to prevent heat stress, recognize the warning signs, and respond appropriately should the symptoms of heat stress appear.
The resource also encourages everyone on the farm to look out for one another. By checking in with co-workers, speaking up when something doesn’t seem right, and responding quickly to early signs of heat stress, employers and workers can work together to prevent serious illness and help ensure everyone returns home safely at the end of the day.