Reyna Lopez, PCUN, Executive Director, reynalopez@pcun.org
Farmworker Death Related to Heat-Illness
Amidst Oregon Heat Wave
while Oregon OSHA fails to adopt emergency rules ahead of the heatwave.
WOODBURN, Ore.— As people across the state looked for ways to cool down during the record-breaking heatwave, farmworkers continued to work in the fields despite the unsafe conditions. The failure to adopt emergency rules ahead of the heatwave, as well as wildfire season, by Oregon OSHA has left outdoor workers’ health and livelihood at the discretion of their employers. Unfortunately, the lack of rules has resulted in a work-related heat death of a farmworker on Saturday, June 26th on a farm in St. Paul.