Preventing Heat Deaths on the Job with State Standards
States like Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, and Washington need commonsense safeguards to prevent workers and residents from getting sick due to extreme heat.
A construction worker in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh
Coauthored with Charlotte Brody and Harley Stokes, BlueGreen Alliance; Grace Wickerson, Federation of American Scientists; and Anastasia Christman, National Employment Law Project
Extreme heat affects indoor and outdoor workers alike, from kitchen workers and teachers to farm and construction workers. As temperatures rise, so do the dangers. Across the country, thousands of workers already visit the emergency room or miss at least one day of work each year because of heat-related illness. Dozens more will die. Given the lack of urgent action at the federal level, state leaders should show workers they’re ready to protect them from preventable harm by moving immediately to develop their own statewide heat standards.
RELATED RESOURCES
Occupational Heat Safety Standards in the United States
Workers Need Protection from Deadly Heat
