As millions of Americans are subject to heating recommendations, US President Joe Biden unveiled a proposed law on Tuesday that will address working heat contact. This program, if enacted, would be the first major national safety standard for heat and is set to guard around 36 million workers from heat- related injuries.
Speaking at the DC Emergency Operations Center, Biden criticized Republican lawmakers who deny climate change, labeling like rejection as “outrageous” and “really idiotic”. He cited the individual and financial strain of climate change, noting that the business lost$ 90 billion next month from deterioration brought on by conditions.
” More people die from severe temperature than storms, hurricanes and tornadoes combined”, Biden said. ” These climate fueled extreme weather events do n’t just affect people’s lives. They even cost money. They hurt the economy, and they have a major negative psychological impact on people”, Biden said.
This proposed law is portion of a broader five- action plan by Biden’s administration to battle severe weather, coinciding with Hurricane Beryl’s impact in the Caribbean. A new FEMA principle to estimate flood risk for federal jobs,$ 1 billion in FEMA provides for disaster-affected populations, a new EPA record on climate change impacts, and a planned” White House Summit on Extreme Heat” are additional steps.
Despite growing awareness of heat risks, protections for workers exposed to heat over 80°F ( 27°C ) have lagged. Employers are required to detect heat hazards, develop heating illness emergency response plans, and provide training in order to reduce worker-related deaths and illnesses caused by heat exposure. Employers may also set up rest areas, provide water and shade, and make it easier for new workers to adjust to the heat. Penalties for work infractions involving warmth may rise.
An estimated 2, 300 people died from temperature- related disease in the US in 2023, and from 1992 to 2022, steam exposure claimed the lives of 986 workers across different industries, with construction accounting for 34 % of these deaths.
Currently, only California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington have workplace heat exposure standards. Recent legislation in Florida and Texas, led by Republican governors, has blocked local heat protections for outdoor workers. If finalized, the Biden administration’s rule would set a federal standard, requiring states to implement equally or more stringent measures.
The announcement coincides with the EPA’s release of a new report on US climate change indicators that brings together data from 2012 and new data on workplace deaths and marine heat waves.
( with agency inputs )
