6 Tips to Keep Farm Employees Safe When Temps Rise

Thermometers are boiling over as an intense heatwave sweeps its way across the country. These scorching summer temps are not only taking a toll on crops and livestock, but farm employees as well.

According to Melissa O’Rourke, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, many of today’s farm employees lack previous farm or other outdoor employment experience. Therefore, dealing with weather-related conditions may be new to them, not to mention the difference among individuals who may or may not be acclimatized to high heat conditions.

Each year, thousands of workers become ill or injured as a result of heat exposure in their workplace, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). While dealing with hot temperatures can be managed to a certain degree, excessive heat exposure can be fatal.

To help workers stay cool in this intense heat, consider the following tips.

• Keep employees hydrated. Provide water stations or purchase coolers to keep water available for employees when they need it. Inexpensive ice machines can also be purchased to help keep beverages cold. Farm fridges should be well stocked with water bottles, Gatorade and flavored water at all times.

“We like to use the Liquid-I.V. packets that you can add into water bottles,” says Callie Toews, a Kansas beef farmer. “They have lots of different flavors!”

• Provide breaks. Provide workers with frequent rest periods in cool or shaded areas. Consider adding expensive fans or window AC units to employee breakrooms. 
• Consider specialty garments. Cotton t-shirts can trap in heat. Consider purchasing moisture-wicking or cooling uniform shirts for your employees to wear. Breathable hats can also keep the sun off of your employee’s face.

“I buy cooling towels and keep them on hand during hot weather,” says Sarah Radachy, an Arizona rancher. “You can buy a pack off of Amazon pretty cheap.”

• Switch schedules.  When possible, schedule hot jobs for the cooler part of the day - and where preventative maintenance and repair jobs may occur in hot areas, schedule these tasks for cooler months.

Tasks that require physical exertion during hot conditions should either be scheduled during the cooler part of the day – or provide more frequent-than-usual rest and cool-off periods. Assigning extra employees to reduce the work-load may also help.

• Fill the freezer. A cool summer treat can put a smile on anyone’s face, especially a hot farm employee. Consider keeping ice cream or frozen treats in the freezer to help employees cool off during a break.

“We keep ice pops in our barn office freezer for employees,” says Julie MacGlaflin, a Vermont dairy farmer. “Thank goodness they’re cheap because everyone loves them!”

• Monitor employees.  Particular employees – such as older workers, those who are overweight or have heart-related medical conditions – may have an even lower-than-average sensitivity to heat and require additional monitoring. Consider having these at-risk employees work during the coolest part of the day.

Know the Signs of Heat Illness

When an employee is exhibiting symptoms of heat-related illness, it is important to respond quickly and appropriately. There are four common heat-related illnesses and each is treated differently. According to OSHA, these are the proper steps to take for each:

• Heat rash symptoms include clusters of red bumps, commonly on the neck, chest, or in folds of skin. Keep the affected area dry and relocate the worker to a cooler or less humid environment.
• Heat cramps include muscle spasms and pain in the abdomen or limbs. Encourage the worker to rest in the shade or in a cool room, and make sure he or she drinks plenty of cold water. The worker should rest for several hours before returning to strenuous work or seek medical attention if the cramps do not subside.
• Heat exhaustion can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. The worker should immediately sit or lie down in a cool, shaded area, drink plenty of cool liquids and apply ice packs to his or her armpits to lower his or her core temperature. Seek emergency care if symptoms are not improved within an hour.
• Heat stroke is an emergency. The worker may exhibit confusion, fainting, or seizures, accompanied by an extremely high body temperature. Call 911, and while waiting for help to arrive, loosen the employee’s clothing, apply cold packs to his or her armpits and encourage him or her to drink plenty of fluids.

For more on keeping employees cool, read:

• Protect Your Team from the Heat
• Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke: Protecting Yourself and Your Employees