‘We’re not animals, we’re human beings’: US farm workers labor in deadly heat with few protections

Advocates want Osha to issue federal heat standards, requiring water, shade and rest breaks

The climate crisis is endangering farm workers around the US who work outside in excessive heat throughout the year without any federal protections from heat exposure in the workplace.

It's really challenging to work in the heat, but the reality is we have to, we don't really have a choice, we have to keep working even when it's incredibly hot," said Tere Cruz, a farm worker for 15 years in Immokalee, Florida. The first thing in the morning, you don't feel it as much but then after 11am your body really starts to feel the heat. You feel like all the energy has been sucked out of you and it's really hard to keep going.''