"WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer.
If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job — establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers and indoor workers in warehouses, factories and kitchens.
Biden highlighted the proposed rule as one of five steps his Democratic administration is taking to address extreme weather as Hurricane Beryl is already ripping through the Caribbean in an ominous sign for the summer.
Biden used his remarks at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center to blast those Republican lawmakers who deny the existence of climate change, saying, “It’s not only outrageous, it’s really stupid.” Biden noted that there are human and financial costs from climate change, saying that weather-inflicted damage last year cost the economy $90 billion."
Suman Naishadham reports for the Associated Press July 2, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Biden Calls Climate Denial ‘Dumb,’ Announces New Heat Protections for Workers" (New York Times)
"First Heat Protection Standards for Workers Proposed by Biden Administration" (Inside Climate News)
"OSHA Proposes Rule To Protect Workers Exposed To Extreme Heat" (Washington Post)
"Biden Blasts Trump, ‘MAGA Republicans In Congress’ Over Climate Change Denial" (The Hill)
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