The US’s first major heat-safety rules could protect 36M workers as temps spike nationwide

The dog days of summer… could get their first US leash. Fourth of July sweat stains are no joke: 75M Americans were under heat alerts to start the month as high temps and humidity scorched the country. Last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a rule that could protect 36M workers from excessive heat on the job. It would apply to both outdoor workers (like delivery drivers and construction workers) and indoor workers (such as warehouse and kitchen staff). If passed, it would be the first major federal heat-safety standard in America.

• The rules: Employers would be required to prepare heat-response plans and designate a heat-safety coordinator. Temperature levels would trigger various precautions. At 80 degrees: access to water and break area. At 90: paid 15-minute breaks every two hours.

• Deadly temps: There were 43 reported workplace heat-related deaths in the US in 2022, up from 36 the year before. OSHA said those figures were likely “vast underestimates.”

• High-risk jobs: Construction workers — 6% of the workforce — accounted for 36% of heat-related workplace deaths between 1992 and 2016. Studies show that deaths are climbing as temps rise.

Water breaks have their haters… Only five states have established heat-safety protections, with Maryland poised to become the sixth (and the East Coast’s first). The rules tend to meet strong resistance from trade groups, who argue they’re complicated and expensive. Phoenix (one of the US’s hottest cities) passed a workplace rule in March mandating shade, water, and A/C access. Other cities have blocked heat rules: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott nixed heat-safety requirements that passed last year in several cities, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made similar moves this year.