"As the planet records some of its highest average temperatures, workers have barely any legal protections from extreme heat".
"The pain usually starts for Karla Perez when the temperature reaches 100 degrees.
“When it’s too hot, I feel like vomiting,” said Perez, who has worked landscaping and construction jobs in the Dallas area for the last decade. “My legs are shaking. And it feels like I can’t see well, I see dark.”
Now Perez is worried about losing water breaks in 115-degree heat, a result of a new state law stripping worker protections in Dallas and Austin that had codified baseline heat safety regulations.
Recent weeks have seen Earth’s highest average temperatures on record, according to climate studies, yet most U.S. workers have few legal protections related to extreme heat conditions. The federal government is in the midst of a years-long process to draft heat safety rules, and only six states have their own regulations that guarantee laborers access to water, rest and shade — the three elements that medical professionals say can protect workers from heat illness."
Jacob Bogage and Eli Tan report for the Washington Post July 14, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"For Hikers In Extreme Heat, Help Might Not Be On The Way" (Washington Post)
"Scorching Heat Stresses US Power Grids, Prices Soar" (Reuters)
"Factbox: Europe Sees Another Year Of Droughts And Wildfires" (Reuters)
"Extreme Heat And Pollution Can Double The Risk Of A Heart Attack" (Washington Post)
"Largest Electric Grid Operator In US Issues Alert As Temperatures Climb" (The Hill)
"‘Like A Blowtorch’: Mediterranean On Fire As Blazes Spread Across Nine Countries" (Guardian)
"Effects Of Climate Change Increasing In Asia, WMO Says" (Reuters)
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