HHS Marks Farmworker Appreciation Day; Expands Language Access and Increases Support for Workplace Evaluations, Clinician Education, and More

Announcements are part of Secretary Becerra's Initiative on Protecting Farmworkers from Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke

Today, Secretary Becerra observed Farmworker Appreciation Day by participating in a "charla" - a conversation - 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 the scientific literature on the health effects from exposures to wildland fire smoke and provides recommendations to protect outdoor workers. This document is expected to be released fall of 2024 and will serve as the basis for future recommendations. NIOSH's existing Criteria for a Recommended Standard on Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments informed the Department of Labor's recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.
• Funding Opportunity for New Care Sites: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened a New Access Points funding opportunity to support new health center service delivery sites to expand affordable, accessible, and high-quality primary health care for underserved communities and populations. HRSA has promoted this funding opportunity with resources and technical assistance in Spanish, including FAQ sessions with live Spanish interpretation, and an FAQs webpage.

The actions complement work from across the Administration to protect outdoor workers, including the Department of Labor's recent regulation for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. This proposed rule is a significant step toward a federal heat standard to protect workers made possible by research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This Farmworker Appreciation Day comes as farmworkers contend with extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other hazards, to bring Americans and people around the world the food we rely on to keep our families healthy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed to using all available tools to protect their health and well-being.

Read the full HHS Farmworker Appreciation Day Factsheet for more information on the Secretary's Initiative and these key actions.