News

Upcoming Advisory Meeting to Protect Workers from Wildfire Smoke

by Kara Schilli
April 22, 2019

A new petition has been submitted to develop and emergency standard to protect outdoor workers—including agricultural farmworkers, construction, landscaping, and others—from wildfire smoke.

Protecting Dairy Workers from Infectious Disease

April 17, 2019

Research

WCAHS investigators seek to better understand the occupational risks of zoonotic infection among California dairy workers.

Frank Mitloehner at the UC Davis cattle barn

Animal Agriculture, Air Quality, and Climate Change

April 17, 2019

Research

Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis discusses the challenges that California dairies will face as they attempt to reduce agricultural emissions by 2030.

California Heat Illness Prevention Study Findings

by Diane Mitchell and Chelsea Eastman Langer
March 15, 2019

Research

Avoidable deaths and heat-related illnesses still occur among California farmworkers despite regulations from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) and a campaign to encourage drinking more water and taking more rests in the shade.

Night Work: A Growing Trend in Western Agriculture?

March 07, 2019

Research

Insufficient awareness of the hazards associated with night work increases agricultural worker safety risk.

Sexual Harassment in Napa Vineyards

February 15, 2019

Research

Sexual Harassment experienced by a third of female farmworkers and negatively effects both farmworker women and men in new study

Christopher Simmons Honored by Department of Pesticide Regulation

February 12, 2019

The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) honored Christopher Simmons, PhD, and his research team, with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Achievement Award for their work with biosolarization, a process that combines the sun’s heat with soil amendments to manage weeds and other soil-borne pests.

Schenker named ‘Leader in Field’ of Agromedicine

by Victoria Sharpnack
January 22, 2019

The Journal of Agromedicine has named distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. Marc Schenker, its “Leader in the Field” for 2019.

A Look Back at 2018

by Kara Schilli
December 13, 2018

WCAHS had a very busy year with research and outreach activities throughout the western states.

Outreach and Education Funding Awarded

October 10, 2018

WCAHS is pleased to announce our 2018 Outreach and Education Funding award recipients.

Tidbits from Trainings: What to do if someone gets sick from the heat

by Leslie Olivares
October 01, 2018

Spanish

Agricultural workers are especially vulnerable to heat illness due to the nature of their work: outdoors, long hours, and at peak harvest times during the hottest months of the year.

Read on for tips taken straight from our Heat Illness Prevention training to help keep you safe and healthy and to potentially save a life!

UC Davis Scientists Study the Impact of Wildfires in California

by Kara Schilli
August 17, 2018

Research

WCAHS investigators are examining the potential health impact of wildfire smoke and ash through several projects.

How Depression Impacts Efforts to Address Obesity Among Farmworkers

August 10, 2018

Research

Biological, lifestyle, and environmental factors all affect obesity, both in the general population and among farmworkers. However, less is known about the relationship between mental illness, such as depression, and obesity in the agricultural workforce.

WCAHS Funds Seven Summer Projects as Part of a Short-Term Funding Cycle

by Kara Schilli
July 19, 2018

Research

This summer, seven agricultural health and safety projects will be carried out around the Western Region with funding from the Wester Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (WCAHS).

Not Everyone Speaks Spanish!

by Alena Uliasz, Community Development Graduate Group, and Vanessa Terán, Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)
July 19, 2018

Research

In California, home to the largest population of immigrant farmworkers in the nation, a third of farmworkers are members of Indigenous communities from Southern Mexico. Many speak only an Indigenous language like Mixteco, Zapoteco, or Triqui, and research suggests they are denied access to trained interpreters and face discrimination.

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