Oppressive Heat Is Creating Dangerous Working Conditions

​The scorching heat wave reaching across the U.S. and around the world is creating dire working conditions. Nearly 1,500 U.S. cities broke daily high temperatures in the past 30 days. For example:

• Lancaster, Calif., set a daily record high of 109 degrees on Aug. 23 and hit to 112 degrees one week later.
• Missoula, Mont., broke a 31-year-old record on Aug. 10 when it recorded a new daily high of 103 degrees.  
• Salt Lake City reached 104 degrees on July 9, retiring an almost 30-year-old record.
  

The unbearable heat can be life-threatening for those whose work requires them to be outside. Agricultural and construction workers are among those at risk of heat stress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The brutal temperatures put construction workers installing roofs at risk as black asphalt shingles absorb heat, causing temperatures to rise to 160 degrees, a professional roofer told one news outlet.

Workers ages 65 and older are at greater risk of heat stress, as are those who are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take certain medications.

Some strategies employers can use to protect their workers from heat stress include scheduling and encouraging frequent breaks; asking workers to wear lightweight and breathable clothing; and setting up a buddy system for routinely checking that co-workers are not experiencing heat-related symptoms, are hydrating frequently and are making use of shade.

SHRM Online has collected the following articles on the effect the heat wave—now expected to last through at least Friday across California—is having on workers and strategies employers can take to help protect workers from heat hazards.

'All I Can Think About Is the Sun': How Workers Are Coping with California's Heat Wave

A delivery driver relies on 15 bottles of water to get him through his route. A beekeeper keeps a portable fan under her veil. A construction worker starts as early as 6 a.m. but still ends the day with a sweat-soaked shirt.

This week's triple-digit heat has pounded workers across Southern California, particularly those who labor primarily outdoors or whose workplaces, like many warehouses, lack air conditioning. It's another way climate change is contributing to inequality, and it is only going to get worse.

(Los Angeles Times) 

Extreme Heat Becoming More Dangerous for Farmworkers

Sweltering temperatures and humidity threaten the health of outdoor laborers, and there are few standards to protect them from working when it's too hot.

(Wired) 

Beating the Heat at Work

A scorching heat wave is rolling around the world, with record-setting temperatures in Asia, Europe and North America. Britain hit a high of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit on July 19, and nearly one-third of U.S. states face excessive heat, with heat warnings and advisories for parts or all of 28 states.

Employers have a duty to make sure workers avoid heat illnesses. Outdoor workers need water, rest and shade to make it to the end of their workday safely. Indoor workers, such as those in warehouses, boiler rooms, kitchens and laundries, can be affected by heat stress, too.

(SHRM Online) 

Stanford Researchers Discuss Extreme Heat's Impact on Laborers

News stories of farmhands and other outdoor workers dying from heat-related impacts are stark reminders that few regulations exist to protect laborers from increasingly frequent extreme heat.

(Stanford University) 

The Dangers of Working in Hot Weather

New rules aim to protect workers from heat-related illnesses during a summer of record-breaking heat.

(Smithsonian Magazine)  

OSHA Announces Program to Protect Workers from Heat Hazards 

Under the National Emphasis Program (NEP), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) aims to eliminate or reduce worker exposures to occupational heat-related illnesses and injuries in general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture.

"On days when the heat index is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, OSHA inspectors and compliance assistance specialists will engage in proactive outreach and technical assistance to help stakeholders keep workers safe on the job," according to an April 12 announcement from the agency. OSHA noted that inspectors will address heat hazards during inspections, regardless of whether the employer is in an industry that is targeted by the NEP.

(SHRM Online) 

Washington State Employers Face New Rules to Protect Workers from Outdoor Heat Exposure

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries adopted emergency rules June 1 that add to existing protections for outdoor workers from the summer conditions of heat exposure and wildfire smoke. Both emergency rules took effect June 15.

Under the existing rule, employers with outdoor workers are required to maintain outdoor heat-exposure-prevention plans, provide annual heat-exposure training to employees and supervisors to prevent illness, and increase the amount of drinking water available to workers as well as opportunities to drink it. The existing rule is effective annually between May 1 and September 30.

(SHRM Online)