Equitable Food Initiative encourages agricultural employers and workers to take proactive steps to prevent heat-related illnesses by using its Sun & Heat Protection toolkit, a free resource for the industry available in both English and Spanish here.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that farmworkers face some of the highest risks of heat exposure in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, farmworkers die of heatstroke at a rate nearly 20 times greater than all U.S. civilian workers. On an average day, temperatures in the fields can be 8 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the reported daily high from the National Weather Service.

To help employers and workers stay safe, EFI has updated its toolkit in time for July's Extreme Heat Awareness Month. The new resources and practical guidance were developed with input from farmworkers and industry stakeholders. The updated toolkit includes:

• An updated "Prevent Heat Fatalities" section with strengthened guidance on recognizing and responding to heat-related emergencies.
• A new, easy-to-follow heat index table that outlines recommended actions to prevent heat illness at different temperature levels.
• Expanded recommendations in the "Other Ways to Support Sun Heat Protection for Farmworkers" section, featuring additional solutions employers can implement to protect workers.
• Full bilingual access to the entire toolkit, including educational materials and video resources in both English and Spanish.

The toolkit also includes printable tip sheets and posters, educational resources and practical information employers can use to strengthen heat safety programs and worker training efforts.

"Heat illness remains one of the most serious and preventable risks facing farmworkers," said Alexandra Martinez, EFI senior digital marketing and sales associate. "We updated this toolkit to make critical safety information even easier to access and apply in the field. By providing practical tools in both English and Spanish, we hope to help employers and workers take action before heat becomes a medical emergency."

In addition to the toolkit, EFI urges farmworkers and supervisors to monitor colleagues by implementing the "two-question rule": If a coworker is asked any two simple questions and hesitates for more than three seconds or gives a nonsensical answer, stop work immediately. Workers should also be trained to recognize the signs of heat stroke, like confusion, slurred speech or unconsciousness, and know to call 911 immediately while cooling the affected worker with ice or cold water until help arrives.

Heat exposure contributes to up to 2,000 worker fatalities and 170,000 heat stress-related injuries across the United States each year. Beyond the devastating human toll, failure to implement simple heat safety measures has a massive economic impact, costing the U.S. economy nearly $100 billion annually.

Protecting workers from extreme heat benefits both employees and employers. Effective heat safety practices can help reduce injuries, prevent costly disruptions and support a healthier, more productive workforce.