La Isla Network

As the effects of climate change begin to set in, abnormal weather phenomenon like extreme heat will increase in frequency, duration, and intensity. But that doesn't mean we have to relinquish to the notion that we are unprepared. Meeting moments of great challenge require partnerships that are set on achieving a goal. That's why La Isla Network and VigiLife have partnered to protect workers in a changing climate—by reducing harm in the workplace, increasing productivity, and providing a return on investment. Read below about how together we've set the stage to meet the moment in the U.S.

All workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment. This means employers have an obligation to protect their workers from occupational heat stress. Yesterday, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for immediate action on extreme heat. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gYeY7FSZ

The International Labour Organization (ILO) released on July 25 a comprehensive report on the effect of occupational heat stress on the health of workers and the resulting economic implications. Furthermore, the United Nations announced a call to action on occupational heat stress. The new report dives deeper into occupational heat stress. It provides updated estimates on the number of workers exposed to excessive heat worldwide, detailed regional data on heat stress impacts, analysis of economic costs associated, and recommendations for developing effective heat action plans for workplaces. La Isla Network is proud to see its own research, work from the Adelante Initiative, pictures taken by our esteemed colleague Ed Kashi, and our research partners’ projects—including Andreas Flouris, Vidhya Venugopal and Jason Kai Wei LEE—in the new ILO report. While the report shows the continued danger that workers face from extreme heat, we are also happy to see the report detail the progress being made to protect workers in a changing climate. La Isla Network will continue to do what it must to protect workers using data-driven and verifiable research methods.

Tomorrow is your last chance to see the webinar with Bonsucro until next year. Register now!

Farmworkers are some of the most at-risk workers for occupational heat stress in the United States. Our research with the Environmental Defense Fund showed just how vulnerable they are, facing 20x the risk of heat-related death and 21 unsafe working days from heat. It doesn't even take one full working day for a farmworker to face injury, or worse, death. On January 1, 2023, Victor Hernandez began his first day of work as a migrant farmworker at C.W. Hendrix Farms in Parkland, Florida. He had arrived from Mexico the day before. Work began at 8 am, with the workers pulling weeds. At 10 am they began placing stakes in the ground, then had a lunch break at noon. One hour later, workers began picking bell peppers. Hernandez began picking with the others, but according to the other workers started falling behind. While his coworkers continued picking, Hernandez had collapsed from heat stress. It is possible that moments after his collapse, he was still breathing, except he fell into the irrigation ditch between the rows of bell pepper plants, and was submerged face-down. He was pronounced dead after first responders arrived, all before the end of his first day on the job. The tragedy behind Hernandez's death is a reminder of the serious risk that farmworkers face from occupational heat stress. To learn more please read our report with the EDF by clicking below, or visit our website to get involved: laislanetwork.org

We can't afford to wait any longer. We must protect #workers from #heat.

Did you miss the webinar with Bonsucro on how to protect workers in a changing climate? Don't worry! There's another one next week. More information below: https://lnkd.in/gnKWdKS5

In the U.S. 34 million people in 65 cities are experiencing temperatures that feel higher than they are because of the built environment. The urban heat island effect is a measurable increase in temperatures resulting from the replacement of vegetation with buildings and roads. Temperatures feel up to 8°F higher than the actual air temperature. Read more from Climate Central, Inc.

The United States Department of Labor released on July 2 a proposed rule to protect workers from extreme heat. La Isla Network recognizes the federal heat standard as a significant first step in a multi-phase journey to protect workers in a changing climate. What is needed in conjunction with a federal heat standard is occupational safety and health interventions that are driven by data, physiologically effective and economically viable, demonstrating from the outset that protecting workers isn’t a burden but a competitive advantage where productivity is likely to go up. Read more below https://hubs.ly/Q02FmzfH0

Please join us on July 10, 8am EST (ENG, ESP, PORT) to find out how a rest, shade, hydration and sanitation (RSH-s) program can prevent occupational heat stress among sugarcane workers. The insights learned in this webinar with Bonsucro can be transferred across industries and regions. Register now!