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Eighty-six health organizations issued a letter today urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to expedite the finalization of a new heat injury and prevention standard to better protect workers from heat-related health risks. In addition, health professionals and advocates submitted over 800 public comments urging OSHA for a strong standard.
“OSHA’s job is to ensure that people working in the US are protected from preventable health risks,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “The proposed extreme heat rule is an essential tool to ensure that all employers protect workers through measures like appropriate rest breaks and providing shade and hydration.”
Heat-related illness is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 34,000 heat-related injuries and illnesses occurred between 2011 and 2022, with 479 worker fatalities from heat-related causes. These figures, however, are likely an undercount due to inconsistent reporting and ineffective data collection strategies. In addition to direct health impacts, heat exposure exacerbates chronic conditions, contributing to serious kidney, cardiovascular, and respiratory issues. In addition, heat-related illness leads to $1 billion in healthcare costs every summer.
“Protecting workers by ensuring they can take a break in extreme heat, sit in shade, or drink water should be the bare minimum protection provided by employers and our government,” said Dr. Lisa Patel, executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. “To build a strong, self-reliant, and prosperous America, we must protect the workers that grow and harvest our food, build our buildings and roads, and make the products we use every day.”
While hot working conditions have always been dangerous for workers, rising temperatures caused by climate change make federal intervention all the more essential.
“Extreme heat is a serious and growing health threat, and without federal protections, millions of workers across the country are at risk,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “Hot, humid air can exacerbate asthma and COPD and trigger life-threatening heat-related illness. The record-breaking heat we saw this summer and fall underscores the urgent need for OSHA to finalize the standard and protect workers without delay. These protections would save lives.”
Across the country, health professionals are seeing the effects of extreme heat in the exam room.
“I have many patients who have been impacted by working outside in extreme heat,” said Dr. Juanita Mora, physician and CEO at Chicago Allergy Center, and National Board Member for the Lung Association. “There was one patient of mine who worked construction and had asthma. One day during a period of extreme heat, he got dizzy at work, collapsed at the job site, and ended up passing away from an asthma exacerbation. This is serious, and it is critical for the federal government to take steps to protect these workers to save lives.”
Health professionals highlight the disproportionate impact heat illness has on specific industries, such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. In addition, low-wage workers, people of color, and immigrants are disproportionately exposed to the dangers of high-heat working conditions. For example, Latino workers account for one-third of all worker heat fatalities, with farmworkers facing the highest rates of death from heat-related injuries and illnesses. As the letter notes, America’s lowest-paid workers experience five times as many heat-related injuries as their highest-paid counterparts, underscoring significant disparities that must be addressed.
While the rule will provide much-needed support for workers in high-heat working conditions, there are opportunities to strengthen the rule.
“Nurses see firsthand how high temperatures increase the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke in their patients,” said Katie Huffling, Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. “Heat-related illness is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States and the climate crisis is accelerating heat-related risks. Without strong worker health protections, the health impacts on America’s workforce will continue to grow. While OSHA’s current proposal is a step in the right direction, we are urging OSHA to strengthen this standard to adequately protect workers. Each day without a strong federal standard is a missed opportunity to save lives.”
The letter, signed by health professionals and organizations representing diverse medical and healthcare fields, advocates for the following key recommendations to improve the proposed standard:
1. Earlier monitoring for Heat-Related Illness
2. Longer and More Frequent Rest Breaks
3. Medical Screening for At-Risk Workers
4. Development of Written Heat Illness Prevention Plans
5. Enhanced Compliance and Training Support
These recommendations are supported by numerous studies which show that heat-related injuries and fatalities can occur at the initial 80-degree heat trigger, well below OSHA’s high heat trigger of 90 degrees. Further, research indicates how medical screenings and prevention plans can protect workers who are most likely to experience heat-related illnesses. More details about how these recommendations protect workers can be found here.
“Our organization has shown that preventing heat stress among workers is not a zero-sum game between productivity and protection,” said Jason Glaser, CEO of La Isla Network (LIN), an organization that fights for the protection of workers in the face of climate change. “In fact, our work has shown that common-sense, evidence-based protections can save lives, increase productivity, and increase earnings for businesses. These rules are good for workers and businesses.”
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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.