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Wes Kline
The week of May 17th has been the start of high temperatures that could be an omen of what is to come through the summer. Temperatures in the mid to high 90’s can impact how productive a worker is and the risk of heat stress. Now is the time to think about and prepare for how you plan on handling heat stress. A factsheet FS747 entitled “Preventing Heat Stress in Agriculture” authored by Rutgers Extension Agents Kate Brown, Stephen Komar, Michelle Infante-Casella and Willima Bamka goes into detail on heat stress. Below is a summary of the critical points.
Getting Acclimated to Hot Temperatures
1. Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workload.
2. Start earlier in the morning and stop work earlier in the day.
3. Have water close by for workers and encourage everyone to drink water frequently.
4. Wear a hat, light-colored loose-fitting clothing.
5. Take more breaks than normal.
6. Make sure shade is available.
