Heat-related illness in Washington State agriculture and forestry sectors

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bonauto DK ; Krenz J ; Rauser E ; Spector JT
• Description:
  Background: We sought to describe heat-related illness (HRI) in agriculture and forestry workers in Washington State. Methods: Demographic and clinical Washington State Fund workers' compensation agriculture and forestry HRI claims data (1995-2009) and Washington Agriculture Heat Rule citations (2009-2012) were accessed and described. Maximum daily temperature (Tmax) and Heat Index (HImax) were estimated by claim date and location using AgWeatherNet's weather station network. Results: There were 84 Washington State Fund agriculture and forestry HRI claims and 60 Heat Rule citations during the study period. HRI claims and citations were most common in crop production and support subsectors. The mean Tmax (HImax) was 95 degrees F (99 degrees F) for outdoor HRI claims. Potential HRI risk factors and HRI-related injuries were documented for some claims. Conclusions: Agriculture and forestry HRI cases are characterized by potential work-related, environmental, and personal risk factors. Further work is needed to elucidate the relationship between heat exposure and occupational injuries. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Environmental Exposure Forestry Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-industry Agricultural Workers Analytical-processes Author Keywords: Heat-related Illness Environmental-exposure Farm Workers Forestry-workers Forestry Workers Heat-exposure Heat-stress Heat Exhaustion Heat Stroke Statistical-analysis Workers' Compensation

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  57
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20044576
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2014 Aug; 57(8):881-895
• Contact Point Address:
  June Spector, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Medicine, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite100, Seattle, WA 98105
• Email:
  spectj@u.washington.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f37eb144870683aef615bf07caabbc0ee9f6031273a3cc0d8b021890393f076ea232f3110ac90add413883975cd641ff2154a964780292d5af6b0f2305e80782
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200249/cdc_200249_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 677.71 KB ]