Labor contractor cited after farmworker dies following heat illness

A Florida labor contractor was cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an immigrant farmworker died following an apparent work-related heat illness.

OSHA on Wednesday announced it cited Okeechobee-based Rafael Barajas, the labor contractor who had hired the farmworker, for one serious violation for exposing workers to hazards associated with high ambient heat while working under direct sunlight.

The worker, who had just arrived in the U.S. on Dec. 31, 2022, with a work visa from Mexico, died the following day while working at C.W. Hendrix Farms in Parkland.

He was found unresponsive in a shallow drainage ditch after complaining of fatigue and leg pain during a day when the heat index hovered near 90 degrees.

The contractor, who was issued proposed penalties of $15,625, has 15 business days to contest the fines and citation.

Mr. Barajas was cited after OSHA inspectors said he failed to provide workers with adequate water, shade and rest breaks.