California

California AgrAbility continues to participate in the Mexican Consulate's Health Window Provider Meetings. These meetings have served for coordination of services and collaboration between colleagues working remotely with limited opportunities to reach the populations they serve directly. The Health Window is now collaborating with a mobile clinic to provide COVID-19 tests onsite for all community members interested in getting a test.

California AgrAbility joined the AgriSafe webinar "Respiratory Fit Testing in Agricultural Communities." There has been an uptake in AgrAbility farmers and farmworkers asking about respiratory exposures and protections due to COVID-19. The purpose of fit testing is to ensure the respirator forms an adequate seal with the user's face to provide the intended protection. Fit testing can be done at the worksite with appropriate equipment. Workers do not need to be fit-tested if they are wearing a respirator (including some N95) on a voluntary basis. Folks being tested shall conduct a user seal check; however, a test cannot be conducted if there is any hair growth between the skin and the facepiece sealing surface. It is also important to make sure the user can see around corners and is able to go up and down steps safely with the respirator on. Check out this visual guide to wearing a respirator correctly.

California AgrAbility staff joined part one of three of the Western Growers COVID-19 Webinar Series. The webinar featured Heather Riden from the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety Manager. Resources shared were checklists from the Centers for Disease Control and NIOSH Ag Health Centers for creating a COVID-19 assessment and control plans. Western Growers member Ryan Talley from Talley Farms shared stories about implementing COVID-19 protocols. At Talley Farms, located in the Central Coast, Ryan has been boots-on-the-ground to provide information to workers. He described the experience as a learning experience in which tailgate meetings have been the key to disseminating information at the field level.

Submitted by Sara Wat