(Washington) President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it is proposing new regulations aimed at protecting some workers exposed to high temperatures as heat waves increase due to climate change.
This regulation would be the first on the subject in the country at the federal level.
“Across the country, workers are suffering from heatstroke or even dying just doing their jobs,” Biden said Tuesday. “These new rules will dramatically reduce heat-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths for more than 36 million workers.”
The rule, if adopted as is after a period of public debate, would affect delivery workers, construction and pick-up workers, and those in restaurants, particularly in the kitchen.
More specifically, all employers whose workforce engages in physical activity and is exposed to a perceived temperature of more than 26 would be affected by this regulation.
They will need to be trained and develop action plans, including a person responsible for coordinating heat safety measures.
When the perceived temperature actually reaches 26, employees will need to have access to water and cool areas (in the shade, air-conditioned, etc.).
Measures will also have to be put in place to help new employees “acclimatise”, such as more breaks or a reduced workload. “Three out of four workers who die at work because of the heat die within the first week of work,” a senior government official stressed.
If the perceived temperature reaches more than 32, then 15-minute breaks every two hours will be mandatory and employees’ symptoms will have to be monitored.
Some workers, such as first responders for emergency services, will not be subject to these rules.
This government action was welcomed by several environmental associations.
This is a “first step toward widespread protection of American workers from the dangers of heat, which are expected to become more frequent and intense due to climate change,” said Kristina Dahl of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
“In the United States, outdoor workers are up to 35 times more likely to die from heat exposure than the rest of the population,” she said.
The announcement, made earlier this summer, is part of a series of actions put forward Tuesday by the Joe Biden administration to address the heat problem.
But the new regulations could be threatened by a new administration, if Joe Biden does not win the presidential election in November.