University of Washington and Washington State University researchers are looking for Northwest farms to help with a heat awareness project starting in mid-May.

The project will help test two tools about heat awareness for agricultural workers: interactive training that meets Washington State Department of Labor and Industries training requirements and a mobile application developed in collaboration with AgWeatherNet.

The project will run mid-May through September and requires one or two supervisors and 20 workers to participate.

For a total of four days, workers will be asked to wear monitors throughout their work shift, and UW or WSU staff will be on site those days to collect data from the monitors. Each participating worker will be paid $120 for their time.

In addition to the heat tools, project staff can offer resources about pesticide safety, ladder safety or other occupational issues relevant for supervisors and workers. A certificate of participation can also be provided, to help demonstrate a farm’s commitment to occupational safety and health.

Interested growers can contact Jen Krenz via email at jkrenz@uw.edu or by phone at 206-551-6342 to sign up or ask questions.

—by Jonelle Mejica