Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary | https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/andrea-palm.html
Today, Secretary Xavier Becerra observed Farmworker Appreciation Day by participating in a “charla” about extreme heat with farmworkers organized by Líderes Campesinas. The Secretary also announced several new actions to support farmworkers.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made the well-being of workers a priority. Climate change continues to pose serious health risks for farmworkers and other outdoor laborers. Extreme heat and poor air quality can make working outdoors especially dangerous,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Nobody should die because of exposure to extreme heat. That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is working across the nation to mitigate the health effects of climate change. As temperatures continue to increase, so will our commitment to the safety of those who work to ensure we have food on our tables.”
On March 7, 2024, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra launched the Initiative on Protecting Farmworkers from Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke to address the growing threat of heat and smoke for farmworkers. Today, the Secretary announced some of the initial results of the initiative.
Some of the HHS actions announced today include:
Improving Access to Health Hazard Evaluations: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will investigate workplace health hazards for free when requested by an employer, union, or three or more employees. NIOSH and the HHS Office of Minority Health have made the Health Hazard Evaluation request form available in Mixteco, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Haitian Creole as well as English and Spanish. NIOSH is also conducting outreach to farmworker-serving organizations and working with its Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health to raise awareness of the Health Hazard Evaluation program. The twelve Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health are funded by NIOSH to conduct research and outreach to protect farmworkers from occupational injuries and illnesses. The Centers have released a series of heat-related videos and are conducting research and developing tools to prevent heat and wildfire smoke exposure.
Evidence-Based Recommendations to Better Protect Workers: NIOSH is also developing a hazard review document that summarizes scientific literature on health effects from exposures to wildland fire smoke and provides recommendations to protect outdoor workers. This document is expected in fall 2024 and will serve as a basis for future recommendations. NIOSH’s existing Criteria for a Recommended Standard on Occupational Exposure to Heat informed the Department of Labor’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury Prevention in Outdoor Work Settings.
Funding Opportunity for New Care Sites: The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has opened a New Access Points funding opportunity supporting new health center service delivery sites aimed at expanding affordable primary healthcare for underserved communities. HRSA has promoted this funding opportunity with resources in Spanish including FAQ sessions with live interpretation.
The actions complement work across various departments including recent regulations from the Department of Labor regarding Heat Injury Prevention in Work Settings—a significant step toward establishing federal standards protecting workers based on CDC research.
This Farmworker Appreciation Day comes as farmworkers face extreme heat, wildfire smoke, among other hazards while providing essential food supplies globally. The U.S Department of Health & Human Services remains committed using all available tools ensuring their health & well-being.
Read full HHS Farmworker Appreciation Day Factsheet detailing these key actions.
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