Last July, Yuma was hit by a brutal 110-degree heat wave when Dario Mendoza collapsed and died while working in a melon field.
The 26-year-old father of two's death raises concerns that state regulations are insufficient to protect farmworkers and other employees working in Arizona's heat, which is made worse by climate change. caused.
The Yuma County coroner declared his death due to fever in July.
However, an investigation into the workplace fatality by the Arizona Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded that Mendoza had adequate access to water, shade and rest. ADOSH's report also cited a Yuma County coroner's report that concluded the primary cause of death was methamphetamine overdose.
The agency recommended that Nex Gen Farm Management Inc. not be cited at all.
Nex Gen Farm Management adopted California's higher worker protection standards years ago, according to the report.
These standards include “training employees on the signs and symptoms of heat stress and what to do in an emergency; communicating the need for hydration before each shift; and educating employees when working from cooler areas.” These include acclimatizing and providing shaded spaces.” Please evacuate,” the report said.
The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Mendoza's cause of death does not negate the need for employers to tighten state regulations to protect workers from the heat, said state Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D-Goodyear). Her district covers southwestern Arizona, including Yuma, a major agricultural region and the nation's winter lettuce capital.
On Wednesday, Jan. 24, she introduced a bill directing the Arizona Industrial Commission, which oversees ADOSH, to create rules that would strengthen requirements for employers to protect workers exposed to the elements.
“People have died and continue to die from heat exposure. We need that in Arizona,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval said he was inspired to introduce the bill by farmworkers who have died or been injured due to the heat. But this bill aims to better protect all Arizona workers who are exposed to the elements.
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Unlike California and other states, Arizona has no laws or regulations to protect farmworkers from the heat, Jill Guernsey de Zapien, a public health professor at the University of Arizona, told Arizona in July.・Told the Republic newspaper.
Arizona farmworkers are regulated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but she says those regulations are inadequate when it comes to working in the heat.
While some employers have voluntarily taken steps to protect workers, Sandoval's bill would require employers to take steps to protect workers or face penalties, Sandoval said. Stated.
Detailed report on farm worker deaths in July
On the day Mendoza died, temperatures in Yuma were in the mid-90s by 9 a.m., reaching a high of 116 degrees, just one degree shy of the day's high of 117 degrees. Temperatures in the region remained above 110 degrees for almost two weeks.
Mendoza was part of a crew removing black plastic tarps used to suppress weeds in a melon field when he suddenly started running aimlessly just before 8 a.m., the report said. According to the report, Mendoza was taken to a work vehicle by other employees to cool his head and called his supervisor and 911. Mendoza was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
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On the day of the incident, the crew departed at 2 a.m. as part of a 2 a.m.-noon shift to avoid the hottest part of the day. The crew headed to the melon fields at 2:30 a.m., the report said.
“Crew members, including the deceased employee, wore long-sleeved shirts, were provided water, had a large umbrella on the tractor while on the equipment stand, had available shade, and had air conditioning. He had a working van ready,” the report said. . “Employees were given multiple breaks and could take as many breaks as they needed if they felt too hot.”
Supervisors told state inspectors the crew had access to two 5-gallon water containers and two 3-gallon jugs with ice. If the water or ice ran out, management was asked to bring in more ice, which took about 15 minutes to complete.
The operator told state inspectors that he observed Mendoza drinking large amounts of fluids and constantly refilling the water jug. At 6 a.m., employees took their designated break. At 7:15 a.m., Mendoza called for an early break. He collapsed shortly after returning to work.
“When the employee returned to the site, the operator stated that he noticed that the employee was working faster and acting strange. After continuing to work for a while, the employee began running away from the operator and the site. , and ended up falling into the fence,” the report states. .
The operator also told investigators that he witnessed Mendoza taking pills while at work and assumed it was medication. The crew thought the pills were a treatment for gastritis, but weren't sure if that was the case, the report said.
Here's where to contact the reporter: daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com.
