By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday took steps to protect workers and communities from the deadly effects of extreme heat, including proposing the first-ever Labor Department rulemaking on the issue.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
On June 20, before the start of the American summer, nearly 100 million Americans were under extreme heat warnings, alerts and watches. New York City opened emergency cooling centers, while New Mexico struggled with deadly wildfires.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing a rule to protect workers. If finalized, it would be the first U.S. safety standard in this area.
It includes requirements for identifying heat hazards, emergency response plans, training for supervisors, and work standards including breaks, access to shade and water, and heat acclimation for new workers.
Farm worker groups had called on the government to set heating standards, as farm workers are often exposed to high temperatures and therefore have irregular access to shade, water and breaks.
IN NUMBERS
OSHA predicts the rule will impact approximately 36 million workers and significantly reduce the number of heat injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace.
Extreme weather, including extreme heat, also hurts the economy. A White House fact sheet said a record 28
Individual multibillion-dollar extreme weather and climate disasters in 2023 caused a total of more than $90 billion in economic damage.
WHAT ELSE DOES THE ADMINISTRATION DO?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing nearly $1 billion in grants for nearly 660 projects to help communities protect against disasters and natural hazards, including extreme heat, storms and flooding.
A White House fact sheet said Biden would receive a briefing Tuesday on extreme weather forecasts for the summer. The White House will hold a summit on extreme heat this summer.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, additional reporting by Leah Douglas; editing by Sandra Maler)
