Welsh was in Easton to talk with local growers, farm labor contractors and field supervisors at a heat illness prevention session. Training was conducted in both English and Spanish.
Farm labor contractors are required to provide portable shade structures to protect laborers from the intense heat.
Zepeda requires his foremen to have shade canopies up by nine each morning. Workers are urged to take regular water breaks.
Farmers and labor contractors are taught to look for the symptoms of heat stress like headache, excessive sweating and nausea. Cold water must be readily available in the fields.
Employers not meeting heat safety requirements are fined. Cal-Osha citations totaled 1-point-7-million dollars last year.
But the united farmworkers believes more can be done. The UFW wants the governor to propose criminal penalties for those whose gross negligence leads to the death of innocent people.
Training sessions like the one held in Easton will be repeated around the state over the next few months. The campaign hopes to reach 400-thousand people with the heat safety message.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
abc30 News Links:
Links to other news sections on our website.
- HomePage
- Top Headlines
- Fresno Local News
- State News
- National/World News
- Entertainment News
- Business News
- Politics News
- Sports News
- Health Watch
- Consumer Watch
- Mr. Food
Breaking News Alerts:
Click Here to Sign-Up for Breaking News E-Mail Alerts
Receive Breaking News alerts in your email inbox.
Click Here to Sign-Up for Text Message Alerts
Receive Breaking News alerts right on your cell phone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
