EFI updates bilingual toolkit to help prevent heat illness

Equitable Food Initiative has refreshed its free Sun & Heat Protection toolkit in English and Spanish as summer heat risks rise for outdoor workers. The update adds stronger emergency guidance, a new heat index table and expanded employer recommendations aimed at reducing heat-related illness and fatalities.

Why it matters: - Outdoor workers face some of the highest heat exposure risks in the U.S., according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. - Heat exposure contributes to up to 2,000 worker fatalities and 170,000 heat stress-related injuries each year. - Failure to use basic heat safety measures costs the U.S. economy nearly $100 billion annually. - Stronger heat safety practices can reduce injuries, prevent disruptions and support a healthier workforce.

What happened: - Equitable Food Initiative is urging employers and workers to use its free Sun & Heat Protection toolkit before the next heat wave. - The toolkit is available in English and Spanish at equitablefood.org/sunprotection. - EFI updated the toolkit with new resources and practical guidance developed with input from workers and stakeholders.

The details: - The updated toolkit includes a strengthened Prevent Heat Fatalities section with clearer guidance on recognizing and responding to heat-related emergencies. - EFI added a new heat index table with recommended actions for different temperature levels. - The Other Ways to Support Sun Heat Protection section now includes expanded recommendations with additional employer solutions. - The toolkit provides full bilingual access to educational materials and video resources in English and Spanish. - EFI also includes printable tip sheets, posters, educational resources and practical information employers can use to improve heat safety programs and worker training. - Alexandra Martinez, EFI senior digital marketing and sales associate, said heat illness remains one of the most serious and preventable risks for outdoor workers. - Martinez said EFI updated the toolkit to make critical safety information easier to access and apply, and to help employers and workers act before heat becomes a medical emergency. - EFI says workers and supervisors should use the “two-question rule” to monitor colleagues: if a worker hesitates for more than three seconds or gives a nonsensical answer to two simple questions, stop work immediately. - EFI says workers should also be trained to recognize heat stroke symptoms such as confusion, slurred speech or unconsciousness. - EFI says crews should call 911 immediately and cool the affected worker with ice or cold water until help arrives.

Between the lines: - EFI is pushing a prevention-first approach, not just emergency response. - The bilingual format suggests the organization is targeting both access and on-the-job usability for a workforce that may need quick, plain-language guidance. - The toolkit’s worker input and stakeholder input point to a practical redesign meant to be used in the field, not just read in an office.

What's next: - EFI is directing employers, workers and supervisors to review the toolkit before extreme heat conditions intensify. - More information and access to the resources are available at EFI’s Sun & Heat Protection toolkit. - EFI may use the updated materials to support broader heat safety training and employer programs across the agricultural supply chain.

The bottom line: - EFI wants employers to treat heat safety as an urgent, everyday workplace issue, with bilingual tools ready before temperatures spike.