Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Canadian Center of Science and Education
Faculty
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science
School
School of Natural Sciences / Centre for Ecosystem Management
RAS ID
18328
Abstract
Little is known about the health effects of heat in outdoor work and appropriate work and rest schedules for farmers working in developing countries. As temperatures continue to increase in tropical regions, such as Northern Ghana, it is necessary to evaluate how farmers experience and respond to high heat exposures. In this study, WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) estimates and the ISO work / rest standards were applied to a cohort of farmers in the rural areas of Bawku East, Northern Ghana, to assess how farmers respond to high heat and how much they rest to protect their health, as well as the level of heat on their productivity. WBGT data was recorded over a period of 6 months among vegetable, cereals, and legume farmers. The ISO proposed and actual rest regimes observed by farmers in the same time period were evaluated. In the dry season the dry bulb temperature rose as high as 45 ºC, while during the humid months of March and April WBGT rose to levels as high as 34 ºC. Farmers worked for nine hours a day during these hot periods with insufficient rest, which has adverse consequences on their health and productivity.
DOI
10.5539/sar.v3n3p56
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Comments
Frimpong, K. , Oosthuizen, J. D., & Van Etten, E. J. (2014). The extent of heat on health and sustainable farming in Ghana - Bawku East. Sustainable agriculture research, 3(3), 56-64. Available here