Critical heat protections for workers are finding tough resistance from employers.
“The proposal sets out two heat index triggers that would apply nationally. One, at 80 degrees, would require employers to offer drinking water, rest breaks as needed and a plan for new workers to gradually increase their workload so their bodies adjust to the temperature. More protections would kick in at 90 degrees, including monitoring for signs of heat illness and mandatory 15-minute breaks every two hours.
The proposal is more than two years in the making and won’t become final until at least 2026. Yet it is already facing stiff resistance. Employers in industries from agriculture to construction, tourism and oil and gas extraction have argued that it’s unnecessary and could hurt their competitiveness. It is likely to encounter major obstacles, including the near-certainty that it would be abandoned if Donald Trump were to win the presidency in November.
But if the rule takes effect, data analyzed by The Washington Post shows that it could be transformative for workers — especially in the South.
The region’s punishing heat and humidity have long been a workplace hazard. Although Texas and California accounted for a quarter of all heat-related workplace fatalities from 2000 to 2010, workers in Southern states face the most lethal threat when the size of worker populations is taken into account. Mississippi, Arkansas, Nevada, West Virginia, and South Carolina had the highest rates of heat-related deaths on the job during that period.
Southern states are highly dependent on agriculture and home-building — the two jobs where workers face the most risk from heat — and with low rates of union membership, working-class laborers have little power to demand protection. Factor in the effects of climate change — more-frequent heat waves and extreme temperatures — and the future of work in these states is increasingly dangerous.”
For the rest of the story, visit The Washington Post here.