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. 2012;22(2):153-73.
doi: 10.2190/NS.22.2.d.

Safety, security, hygiene and privacy in migrant farmworker housing

Thomas A Arcury  1 , Maria M Weir, Phillip Summers, Haiying Chen, Melissa Bailey, Melinda F Wiggins, Werner E Bischoff, Sara A Quandt
Affiliations

Safety, security, hygiene and privacy in migrant farmworker housing

Thomas A Arcury et al. New Solut. 2012.

Abstract

Safety, security, hygiene, and privacy in migrant farmworker housing have not previously been documented, yet these attributes are important for farmworker quality of life and dignity. This analysis describes the safety, security, hygiene, and privacy of migrant farmworker housing and delineates camp characteristics that are associated with these attributes, using data collected in 183 eastern North Carolina migrant farmworker camps in 2010. Migrant farmworker housing is deficient. For example, 73.8 percent of housing had structural damage and 52.7 percent had indoor temperatures that were not safe. Farmworkers in 83.5 percent of the housing reported that they did not feel they or their possessions were secure. Bathing or toileting privacy was absent in 46.2 percent of the housing. Camps with residents having H-2A visas or North Carolina Department of Labor certificates of inspection posted had better safety, security, and hygiene. Regulations addressing the quality of migrant farmworker housing are needed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Migrant farmworker sleeping room showing lack of adequate storage, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Migrant farmworker shower showing accumulation of mold, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Migrant farmworker kitchen showing lack of adequate storage and lack of cleanliness, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cockroaches found in migrant farmworker kitchen, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Exterior trash container without a tight-fitting lid, migrant farmworker camp, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Migrant farmworker bathroom showing lack of privacy for toilets, Eastern North Carolina, 2010.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Migrant farmworker housing.
    O'Barr J. O'Barr J. New Solut. 2012;22(2):135-7. doi: 10.2190/NS.22.2.b. New Solut. 2012. PMID: 22776576 No abstract available.

References

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    1. Arcury Thomas A, Marín Antonio J. “Latino/Hispanic Farmworkers and Farm Work in the Eastern United States: The Context for Health, Safety, and Justice”. In: Arcury Thomas A, Quandt Sara A., editors. Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States: Health, Safety, and Justice. New York: Springer; 2009. pp. 15–36.
    1. Vallejos Quirina M, Quandt Sara A, Arcury Thomas A. “The Condition of Farmworker Housing in the Eastern United States”. In: Arcury Thomas A, Quandt Sara A., editors. Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States: Health, Safety, and Justice. New York: Springer; 2009. pp. 37–69.
    1. Vallejos QM, et al. “Migrant Farmworkers’ Housing Conditions Across an Agricultural Season in North Carolina”. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2011;54(7):533–544. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arcury TA, et al. “Migrant Farmworker Housing Regulation Violations in North Carolina”. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2012 Jan 11; [Epub ahead of print] - PMC - PubMed

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