California

California AgrAbility staff attended the Dan Best Health and Resource Fair in Knights Landing. This health fair was hosted by Dignity Health and provided health screenings to workers on the Dan Best Farm and nearby farms. Staff shared a booth with the Western Center for Agricultural Safety to highlight their trainings while AgrAbility informed attendees about the direct services. Around 20 farmers and farmworkers participated in the health screenings.

California AgrAbility staff joined Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America's (ASHCA) webinar on California's perspective of the heat illness prevention program. The webinar was conducted by Joel Sherman, vice president of safety and corporate affairs at Grimmway Farms. He taught participants the background of the heat illness prevention program and how it can be implemented and modified to increase awareness and communication preventing heat illness and heat stroke.

California AgrAbility staff attended the three-day workshop hosted by the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Berkeley. This workshop focused on applied skills in ergonomics and how to analyze and prevent chronic illnesses through design and implementation. Staff analyzed a wine bottling job to apply best practices in measuring, analyzing, and interpreting physical exposures in a job to mitigate exposures and risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Staff also learned about software updates in ergonomics and were able to test out exoskeleton suits to assist in repetitive occupations.

Submitted by California AgrAbility Project