President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday, proposed new regulations aimed at safeguarding labourers exposed to extreme heat, as climate change continues to exacerbate heat waves across the United States.
The proposed rule targets a wide range of workers, including mail carriers, delivery personnel, construction workers, landscapers, and restaurant staff, who face high heat indexes regularly.
The heat index measures how the temperature feels to humans, factoring in humidity and air temperature.
According to government estimates, the regulation would impact approximately 35 million workers, both indoors and outdoors, who are exposed to a heat index of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celsius) or higher.
“The purpose of this rule is to significantly reduce the number of worker-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses suffered by workers who are exposed to excessive heat simply by doing their jobs,” a senior administration official stated during a press briefing.
Under the proposed rule, employers would need to create heat injury and illness prevention plans and designate a workplace heat safety coordinator.
Workers exposed to a heat index of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more must be provided with drinking water and have access to shaded or air-conditioned break areas.
The rule also emphasises the need for “acclimatisation” of new or returning employees, including more frequent breaks and a reduced workload until they adjust to the working conditions.
This measure is critical as “three out of four workers who die on the job due to heat-related illnesses, die in that first week on the job,” the official highlighted.
If the heat index exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the regulation mandates a 15-minute break every two hours for all employees, with managers required to monitor for symptoms of heat-related illnesses.
However, certain workers, such as emergency medical personnel, would be exempt from this rule.
This proposal is part of a broader series of measures announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday to address the dangers of extreme heat as summer sets in across the country.
If finalised after a public comment period, it would be the first federal rule of its kind in the United States.
However, the new regulation could face challenges if Biden is not reelected in the upcoming November elections, potentially leading to its revocation by a new administration.
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