Rudner Nancy, Elon Lisa, Xiuhtecutli Nezahualcoyotl, Ruiz Ernesto, Chicas Roxana
J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2025;36(2):590-604. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2025.a959115.
As the earth's temperatures rise, heat is killing workers. This study of 115 agricultural workers in Florida's hot summers examines heat exposures, working conditions, dehydration, and lack of federal heat protection standards. In the summer, the median heat index in Florida, reflecting temperature and humidity, was 95°F. Some agricultural workers worked in a heat index as high as 131°F. The workers had only two daily breaks, on average, significantly less than the federal recommendations. They drank about a third of the recommended beverage consumption, and 66% finished the workday dehydrated. Over the three summer data-collection days, 11% (29) of study participants experienced one or more serious heat-related illness symptoms on the 260 individual data collection days. This study shows that, contrary to the industry's claim, voluntary worker heat protections are not followed, demonstrating the need for enforceable, required heat protections as planetary warming creates unsustainable risks for outdoor workers.
随着地球温度上升，高温正在夺去工人的生命。这项针对佛罗里达州炎热夏季里115名农业工人的研究，调查了热暴露、工作条件、脱水情况以及联邦热防护标准的缺失。夏季时，佛罗里达州反映温度和湿度的热指数中位数为95华氏度。一些农业工人工作时的热指数高达131华氏度。工人们平均每天只有两次休息时间，明显少于联邦建议时长。他们饮用的饮料量约为建议量的三分之一，66%的人在工作日结束时处于脱水状态。在三个夏季数据收集日期间，在260个个人数据收集日里，11%（29人）的研究参与者出现了一种或多种严重的与高温相关的疾病症状。这项研究表明，与该行业的说法相反，工人的自愿热防护措施并未得到遵循，这表明随着全球变暖给户外工作者带来不可持续的风险，需要制定可强制执行的法定热防护措施。
