President Joe Biden is working to protect U.S. workers from the dangerous summertime heat in the first-of-its-kind legislation.
The proposed regulation will target farm and construction workers, kitchen cooks, and more—approximately 35 million workers—exposed to heat on the job, both inside and outdoors. Handed down from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the move would require employers to monitor workers for the first time and provide rest areas and water when temperatures reach 80 degrees or higher.
If the proposal passes, employers will be required to implement heat safety plans. Failure to meet standards could result in fines of more than $16,000.
The move comes after states nationwide are experiencing three-digit temperatures, expanding into the Fourth of July holiday. In 2023, the hottest recorded heat wave in history resulted in over 2,000 deaths and an increase in heat-related emergency room visits.
Announced on July 2, Biden is scheduled to discuss worker protections during his visit to Washington D.C.’s emergency operations center, where he is also expected to receive notes from federal scientists about the summer 2024 extreme temperatures forecast. According to The Hill, 436 workers died due to extreme heat exposure between 2011 and 2021. The issue with the proposal is the timing of approval. It has not been established if the measures will take effect.
With the regulations unlikely to be finalized by the end of Biden’s first term and the election up in the air, another Trump administration is expected not to move forward with the measure. However, Biden’s cabinet argues the proposal would be a lifesaver, and experts and advocates agree.
Rice University’s presidential historian with a focus on environmental policy. Douglas Brinkley, says working on climate change and heat protections for workers will help secure an easy win for Biden in November since the topic is his “comfort place.” “He likes being ‘lunchbox Joe’ and being on the side of labor and the working class,” Brinkley said.
“It’s a good issue for Joe Biden. It reminds environmentalists that he’s an ally and rings the climate bell, but also shows he has the back of and the health of the labor movement.”
Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, shared similar sentiments. “The families of people who lose their lives to heat illness don’t see this as an overly burdensome regulation,” he said.
Currently, there are no federal heat protections in place for workers, but some states and cities have mandated their own protections. States like Florida and Texas — which both suffer from extreme heat conditions — have banned cities from implementing heat protections for workers. Marc Freedman, vice president of the country’s largest business lobbying group — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — feels the move would present challenges for employers and make it “extraordinarily difficult for them to determine when heat presents a hazard because each employee experiences heat differently.”
The proposal already covers that. If established, workers would be entitled to acclimatization plans, which would allow newer employers who aren’t used to the heat to gradually increase hours to adapt to conditions.
While adding worker protections, Biden also announced $1 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cover communities from natural disasters and hazards, including flooding and heat. The money will go toward over 650 projects around the country.
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