Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115965

Shelly Davis, JD, Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc, 1010 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 915, Washington, D.C, DC 20005, 202-783-2628, sdavis@nclr.org

Performing strenuous physical labor, for long hours, bent over or on ladders carrying heavy loads, causes farmworkers to suffer high rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries, making agriculture one of the three most hazardous industries in the nation. While agricultural workers comprise less than 2% of the total U.S. workforce they suffered 12% of the fatal job-related injuries in 2001. The primary causes of fatalities were motor vehicles, equipment, falls, drowning, and exposure to harmful chemicals. In 2000, workers employed in crop production had 6.7 non-fatal injuries per 100 workers, with 3.7 cases per 100 workers involving lost work time. These injuries included fractures due to falls, eye injuries from chemicals or debris, lacerations from knives, strains, sprains and repetitive motion injuries from stooping, lifting and sorting, and crush, contusion, and amputation injuries from farm machinery. The EPA estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 farmworkers are posisoned by pesticides each year. Pesticides cause acute effects ranging from nausea, blurred vision, and skin rashes to respiratory distress, convulsions, coma, and death. Long term exposure can lead to birth defects, neurological disorders, infertility, and cancer. Farmworkers and their children have elevated rates of certain cancers including leukemia and brain cancer, which are associated with pesticide exposures. Most farmworkers are Spanish-speaking (84%), immigrants (81%), with less than an eighth grade education (58%). Undocumented status, lack of union representation and inadequate legal protections also contribute to their high rate of injuries. Additionally, many farmworkers have neither workers compensation coverage nor ready access to health care.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify at least five obstacles to improving health and safety conditions for immigrant farmworkers.
• Understand at least three policy approaches for improving health and safety in the agricultural workplace.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation