Humid hot weather in summer has led health officials to issue a warning for farmers, stressing four points: “shielding sunlight, hydration, rest and being alert.”
Taiwan has about 1 million farmers, whose average age is older than other workers and their bodies are less capable of cooling off, Health Promotion Administration (HPA) officials said.
Currently Taiwan has experienced a rise in temperature by 1.6°C compared with 2021, while with the seasonal change summers became longer from 120 to 150 days on average, Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
Nationwide there were 517 heat-related injury cases reported in June, and 600 reported cases from July 1 to July 19 alone, which are 1.8 times and 1.6 times more, respectively, compared with the same period last year, HPA said.
The CWB, the Council of Agriculture, Academia Sinica, the Taiwan Environmental and Occupational Medicine Association (EOMA), and other agencies cooperated to launch a campaign to prevent heat-related injuries and help farmers during the summer months, HPA deputy director-general Chia Shu-li (賈淑麗) said.
Studies at Academia Sinica indicated the correlation of the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index with cases of heat exhaustion, the HPA said.
WBGT is a combined index to measure heat stress in direct sunlight, accounting for temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and solar radiation on cloud cover, said Lung Shih-chun (龍世俊), researcher at Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Environmental Changes.
Yellow, orange, red and purple color codes are used when WBGT is greater than 32°C, 34°C, 36°C and 38°C respectively, with meanings of “pay attention, warning, danger and high danger,” she said.
Analyzing the data from past two decades, when WBGT gets to 32°C, injuries are up by over 80 percent across all age groups, and they increase by 100 percent when the temperature reaches to 34°C, Lung said, adding that she has been observing agricultural fields since last month, and has recorded WBGT reaching 32°C on average from 8am to 5pm.
If someone is not properly hydrated, they cannot dissipate the excess heat out of the body, which leads to heat exhaustion resulting in heat stroke, with a 30 percent death rate, said EOMA board member and medical doctor Ger Jin (葛謹).
Farmers working outdoors should follow the four points of “shielding sunlight, hydration, rest, and being alert,” said Lo Su-ying (羅素英), head of HPA’s Community Health Division, adding that it is crucial to cover one’s head with a conical bamboo hat or a broad-rim hat to shield from direct sunlight and to wear light-colored and air permeable clothing.
“Drink water regularly, which has a piece of lemon, or some salt in it, to make up for lost electrolytes, take a rest when tired and avoid working outdoors from 10am to 2 pm if possible,” she said. “Also be aware of your body condition and pay attention to people around you and seek medical treatment when your body is overheated.”
A farmer surnamed Lee (李) in Changhua County’s Sizhou Township (溪州) said: “Normally I work from 3am to 7 or 8am, and wear a long-sleeve shirt, a hat and sunglasses, and bring along a water bottle, along with a portable fan.”
“Then I go back to the field at 3pm, so as to avoid the hottest period of the day,” Lee said.
“My tiller, plow and rice harvester all have air-conditioner added, and when operating the rice transplanter, I cover up its top with canvas to shield myself from the sunlight and to avoid heat-related injuries,” he said.
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