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Archived
June, 2007 |
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Hispanic Health Program
IMMIGRANT/HISPANIC AGRICULTURAL
WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH
WHAT IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM?
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Agriculture is
recognized as being one of the most hazardous industries in the
United States, ranking second only to the mining industry in yearly
fatality rates. |
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Eighty-five percent of
hired agricultural crop workers in the United States are
foreign-born, and of that population, 90% are from Latin America. |
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Of the estimated three
to five million migrant and seasonal farm workers who work in the
United States each year, approximately 7% are adolescents. |
WHAT HAS CDC
ACCOMPLISHED?
CDC
conducts a national program in agricultural safety and health which
includes intramural research; ten regional Centers for Agricultural
Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention; six Community
Partners Programs for Healthy Farming; a National Children’s Center for
Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety; and numerous grants. In
partnership with seven state health departments, CDC conducts monitoring
of acute pesticide illness and injury. Each component of the national
program includes activities addressing concerns of workers in
immigrant/Hispanic populations. With extramural partners in two states and
utilizing promotores de salud (lay health care workers), CDC supports an
intervention program that is designed to reduce eye injuries and illnesses
in Latino farmworkers. In cooperation with the National Center for
Farmworker Health, CDC supports and participates in the planning of the
annual (Migrant) Farmworker Stream Forums which help researchers, workers,
and advocates break down barriers and develop trust and cooperation.
Examples of programs in action: |
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With CDC support,
researchers designed, tested, and evaluated an intervention that reduced
ergonomic problems for workers in the wine-grape industry. A reduction
from 57 pounds to 46 pounds in the weight of grapes loaded into the bins
and carried by the workers resulted in a reduction in back, neck,
shoulder, and knee pain. This was accomplished with no loss in
productivity or earnings. In 2001, over 1,000 workers were using these
bins with no other incentive than healthier working conditions. This
intervention and others are described in Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for
Farm Workers, that is published in both English and Spanish.
To better understand issues
faced by immigrant agricultural workers, CDC is collaborating with the
Department of Labor to collect data on hired crop farm workers, most of
whom are foreign born, through the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS).
NAWS is the only national study that has documented the living and working
conditions of immigrant workers. |
WHAT ARE THE NEXT
STEPS?
Efforts to address the
unique problems of immigrant/Hispanic workers will continue with the
development of culturally sensitive interventions and worker training
programs and materials.
Back to the Hispanic/Latino Populations Page
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