Crop production workers are 20 times more likely to die from heat stroke than the general workforce, and North Carolina's death rate is the highest in the country.

A recent "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" article published by the Centers for Disease Control noted that during 1992-2006, a total of 68 crop workers in the United States died from heat stroke - a rate nearly 20 times greater than that for the general workforce. The majority of these deaths were in adults aged 20-54 years, a population not usually considered to be at high risk for heat-related illnesses. In addition, the majority of these deaths were among foreign-born workers.

"Our state had the highest rate of heat-related deaths of these farm workers among the 21 states reporting," said Sheila Higgins, an occupational health nurse consultant with the state Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, in a press release. "Crop workers might be at increased risk for heat stroke because they often wear extra clothing and personal protective equipment to protect against pesticide poisoning or green tobacco illness."

If you work outside, the N.C. Division of Public Health offers the following tips:

* notify your supervisor immediately if you think you are getting sick from the heat;
* know the location of your closest drinking water supplies;
* if you are new to working in the heat, tell your supervisor;
* keep track of co-workers if temperatures and humidity are high;
* avoid alcohol, even beer, to avoid dehydration; and
* after work, take a cold bath or shower to help stay at a proper temperature.