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Woman creates app that can protect against work-related illness

Farmhands face many hazardous conditions, including those that are caused by extreme weather conditions. One of the more serious work-related illness problems that they face is caused by excessively high temperatures. One woman’s recent creation may prove to be beneficial to agricultural employees here in Missouri.

This woman, who comes from a family of farm workers, recently developed an application that can be incorporated into an Apple watch. It is used to sense changes in the body temperature of the wearer, especially when the temperatures begin to rise. Once it detects an elevated temperature that could spawn a heat-related illness, it sends an alarm to the wearer.

The woman faced several challenges in the creation and application of the program. She encountered resistance from farmers initially when she wanted the app to be incorporated into users’ cell phones. Once it was determined that a watch would be more suitable, she needed to find a way to pay for the program and for workers to have access to the potentially life-saving devices. Fortunately, fund raising efforts have been successful and the devices are now being used on a few select farms.

The woman is hopeful that other employers will choose to provide their workers with these devices, as it may not only prevent some serious heat-related illnesses, but may also lower medical insurance costs for farmers. Missouri workers often face the possibility of suffering a work-related illness, whether through heat or other environmental conditions. Those have been injured or suffered an illness while working may qualify for assistance through the state’s workers’ compensation program. An attorney can help workers seek all applicable benefits in a timely manner.

Source: turnto23.com, “Kern County native creates app meant to protect farmworkers from heat-related illness”, Veronica Acosta, Feb. 26, 2018