An injury at work has an impact on the whole family. Being cautious and aware of hazards when you do your job will keep you healthy and employed. Falls are the third most common cause of all injuries and the cause of the most serious injuries for orchard workers.  Some common causes of falls on the farm are improper ladder use, jumping off equipment and leaping across ditches. Many falls can be avoided with common sense, such as wearing appropriate boots or shoes, detouring around wet or slippery surfaces and walking at a safe speed.

Sixty-seven percent of workplace falls are from ladders. In the United States, more than 30,000 people are injured each year in ladder-related accidents. The leading cause is improper use of ladders. Ladders are assigned a duty rating that indicates its maximum load – the combined weight of the user and materials. Check to make sure the ladder you are using is strong enough for your job.

Use the right type of ladder for the job. For example, don't use a ladder with shoes designed to prevent skidding on concrete on an orchard floor, and don't use a ladder with spikes for stabilizing it on soil on a hard surface. Always inspect ladders for defects and don't use it if rungs, steps or braces are damaged. Wood ladders should not be painted because this may disguise flaws or weak areas in the wood.

Be aware that mud or fruit from the ground can stick to the bottom of shoes and make your footing slippery.  Likewise, keep ladder steps clear of mud, fruit waste or other debris. 

When picking fruit, never go above the third rung from the top of a ladder and hold on by the side rails, not the rungs. When harvesting it's usually best to start from the top and avoid overfilling your bag or basket. Reach for fruit only at an arm's distance, and remember that it's easy to lose your balance because your weight plus the bag or basket's weight can pull you down.

Employers should have an emergency response plan ready should a fall happen. This includes work crews being trained to call 911 and to not move an injured worker suspected of having a neck or spinal injury. Also, supervisors and workers should be trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR.

Even though heat-related illnesses are more common in the summer, they can happen in any conditions, indoors or outside. Most of the heat that causes heat illnesses comes from within the body. During both rest and activity, the human body tries to maintain an internal temperature of 98.6 degrees.

Like putting fuel on a fire, working hard increases internal heat. It builds up to an unsafe level when the body can't get rid of the heat fast enough. Sweat is one way the body reduces heat, but sometimes – because of protective clothing or really hot weather -- it's just not enough. That's where resting comes in. Cooling off in the shade is as much about simply stopping work as getting out of the sun. Rest stops the furnace burning.

Failing to rest generally happens when a farmworker feels pressured to keep on working – either by himself or herself when working at a piece rate or by a supervisor. In any case, remember that driving oneself to work through unsafe conditions can do more harm than good in the long run.

Heat illnesses start out mild, but can get worse rapidly and even lead to death. The symptoms of heat illness usually progress like this:

• First, weakness
• Second, a rash on the skin surface
• Third, fainting
• Fourth, cramps
• Fifth, a feeling of complete exhaustion
• Sixth, hot, dry skin, confusion and headache, eventually leading to collapse.

If you or a co-worker experiences any of these symptoms, cool off right away and tell a supervisor.

California law now requires employers to take specific measures that help their outdoor workers avoid getting heat-related illnesses. This regulation adds to all employers' obligation to provide safe and healthful workplaces both indoors and out.

Outdoor employers must provide one quart of drinking water per person per hour, a shaded rest area, and training for workers and their supervisors on preventing and treating heat-related illnesses.

It's a good idea for employers and workers to monitor and adjust to conditions that can cause heat illness, such as the temperature and humidity, the difficulty and duration of the work, the amount of exposure to direct sunlight, the types of clothing and personal protective equipment used, and whether the worker is used to working in a hot environment. 

One way that managers and foremen can help workers stay more comfortable, perform better and safer, and avoid heat-related illness is by keeping drinking water containers as close as possible to centers of activity. If the water is too far away, such as at the end of a long row, workers may not want to take time away from their tasks or go to the trouble of getting it.

Common early signs and symptoms of heat stress include headache, muscle cramps, uncoordinated, inattentive, and unusual fatigue. However, more serious illness can set in quickly, and can cause confusion, unusual behavior, vomiting, hot dry skin or a lot of sweating, or loss of consciousness.  Even when they do not lead to illness, heat stress symptoms make accidents and injuries more likely. 

If workers begin experiencing heat stress symptoms, supervisors should insist they rest in a cooler, shaded area and drink plenty of water.  Loosen the workers' clothing and fan them with anything available, such as a piece of cardboard or a sign. 

In case of heat stroke, seek medical attention immediately.

Eating right makes you a better worker. Consuming fast-food hamburgers and french fries, pan dulce, and flour tortillas filled with beans fried in lard can make you less productive at work. The reason: poor nutrition leads to poor health, bringing on a lack of energy, reduced strength, less coordination and greater likelihood of getting sick or injured.

Limited funds can lead farmworkers to purchase low cost, high calorie, low nutrient foods packed with fat, sugar and starches. The result can be obesity and malnutrition at the same time. Both factors hurt farmworkers' ability to provide for their families. Obese workers are twice a likely as fit workers to miss work. Malnourished workers don't have the strength, energy and resistance to disease that well nourished workers have.

Latinos in California suffer disproportionately from poor health, which may be caused by low income, poor nutrition education and a lack of health insurance and medical care. They are more likely to get certain types of cancer and are 20 percent more likely to die from cancer than non-Latino whites. The prevalence of diabetes in Latinos is one and a half times that of whites. Healthy eating can help prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes and other ailments.

Healthful foods often have a slightly higher price tag. One way to stretch the food dollar and eat a healthful diet is by eliminating most of the foods you purchase that do not have lots of nutrients and, instead, spending your entire food budget on foods that contribute to good health. Cook at home rather than going to fast food restaurants. When shopping for food, stay on the perimeter of the market and avoid the expensive packaged foods that are typically found in the middle aisles. Fill your shopping basket with fresh fruits and vegetables in season, lean meat, low-fat dairy products and whole-grain breads or tortillas.

Eating these foods is better for the whole family. It will make you stronger, give you more energy, help ward off diseases and make you feel better.