agriculture workersFrom the American Academy of Dermatology:
Farmers and Skin Cancer: Prevent. Detect. Live

Farmers are at considerable risk factor for all skin cancers, including the most serious, melanoma. Farmers receive more ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure than the general public for many reasons, including:

  • Long workdays spent outside in the sun, especially from May-October.
  • Sweating may also contribute to UV-related skin damage because it increases a person’s photosensitivity of the skin, leading to the risk of sunburns

Additional information at: www.SpotSkinCancer.org


From National Farm Medicine Center:
Harvesting Health, eye protection for farmers and ranchers

Eye injuries result in countless hours of lost work time for farmers and ranchers. Farmers eyes’ are exposed to chemical splashes, UV rays from the sun and flying objects. Welding activities can expose eyes to IR and UV rays, along with radiation which can cause cornea irritation and a painful “flash burn.” This brochure addresses the risks and offers tips on selecting the correct forms of eye protection.

Additional information at: www.marshfieldclinic.org/nfmc

From the National Center for Farmworkers Health, Inc. (NCFH):
Dairy workers
The nation’s 94,000+ dairy workers – many of them foreign-born – work long hours for low pay, often in dirty, unventilated facilities in which workers are exposed to manure dust, bacteria, and other particulates that can damage respiratory passages and lead to airway obstruction.

This brochure includes data on dairy workers, including demographics, labor conditions, occupational health and health care access

Also from NCFH:
Poultry workers

There are a quarter of a million workers in the U.S. who labor in the poultry industry, which is controlled by a small number of corporations and relies on contracted farmers and growers. Poultry is referred to as “a 3-D job: Dirty, demanding and dangerous.” Employees work at a high intensity and speed and often without PPE, despite being exposed to chemicals, blood, feces, mold, endotoxins, and sharp cutting tools. This brochure covers demographics, labor conditions, occupational health.