Wildfires

Safety and Health Training for NW Restoration Forestry Services Workers

The Northwest’s long-standing occupational health and safety programs, based at the University of Washington, propose a capacity building project for safety and health training of restoration forestry services workers, serving Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The Northwestern US faces catastrophic wildfire risks and a rapidly emerging need for forest fuels reduction work. This work relies heavily on manual labor conducted by small private contract forest service firms, small forest landowners, young workers, and Spanish-speaking immigrant workers.

Smoke hazards in the Agricultural Workplace; a bilingual survey for agricultural employers

Agricultural workers are exposed to fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke given the nature of their work. The purpose of the proposed study is to explore and compare perceptions of air quality monitoring, health impacts, and hazard communication strategies among Spanish- and English-speaking agricultural employers and employees. Findings from our bilingual survey will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and industry stakeholders.

Refining estimates of spatiotemporal variation crop worker exposures to heat and wildfire smoke in rural agricultural regions

Case study among H-2A foreign visa worker applications.

This project seeks to refine spatial and temporal estimates of wildfire smoke, heat, and dual exposure among region X crop workers. This project will estimate and compare the burden of exposure (worker days at risk) to wildfire smoke (WFS), heat, and dual exposure among crop worker groups.

Planning for the “new normal”: assessing farm worker service organization’s climate-related impacts and promoting resiliency to support workers

Climate-related environmental hazards, including successive high-heat days and poor air quality from wildfire smoke, are projected to continue and worsen, increasing occupational risks for farmworkers in Central Washington. Farmworker support agencies are facing related training and resource provision needs while filling associated support gaps.

CLEAN AIR–I CARE: Stressors of Balancing Childcare, Work, and Concerns of Wildfire Smoke Exposures for Farmworker Parents

Working outside amid heat and wildfire smoke makes summer farm work grueling. But for those who are also parents, these challenges are compounded by the pressure of balancing work and childcare, and concerns about their children’s health in the smoke. Farmworkers also have few wildfire and smoke information sources that are non-written or in Spanish. 
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