Arizona workers need more protection as extreme heat worsens, Arizona attorney general says

Attorney General Kris Mayes, along with nearly a dozen other attorneys general, has urged the federal government to implement measures to protect workers from extreme heat exposure. This call comes after the hottest summer on record, which underscored the dangerous conditions faced by workers without adequate standards for heat safety.

Mayes and the coalition sent a petition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Feb. 9, urging them to implement a nationwide emergency extreme-heat standard. This standard would take effect this summer to safeguard workers from heat exposure.

According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the increased summer temperatures resulting from climate change have elevated the risk of heat-related injury, illness, and death for vulnerable workers. Despite this rise in temperatures, Mayes noted that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the federal government have not implemented new protective safety standards or regulations concerning heat exposure.

“Despite rising temperatures and intensifying heat waves, and the grave dangers they pose to workers, OSHA currently has no occupational heat standard in place,” said Mayes. “2023 was the hottest year on record and 2024 is expected to be even hotter. Congress and OSHA must move with urgency to implement emergency heat standards and protect Arizona workers” she added.

The coalition of attorneys general has urged Congress and OSHA to promptly implement an interim heat standard for workers. Additionally, they have appealed to White House officials to support their endeavors aimed at safeguarding the nation's most heat-vulnerable workers, as reported by the Attorney General's Office.

Extreme heat recognized by the Mayes office is a period of excessively hot weather characterized by above-average temperatures, often accompanied by high humidity. They highlighted that due to climate change, the severity, duration, and frequency of extreme heat events have increased. This underscores the urgent necessity for emergency heat standards for workers now more than ever.

Arizona workers of color overrepresented in occupations most vulnerable to extreme heat

The petition to the White House came at a pressing time for Arizona workers, especially low-wage workers of color who are overrepresented in occupations most vulnerable to extreme heat, such as labor-intensive outdoor agriculture and construction.

It was reported that farmworkers are 35 times more likely to die of heat exposure than other members of the general population, and construction workers account for 36 percent of heat-related workplace deaths each year.

One example highlighting the dangers and life-threatening risks of working in extreme heat without proper regulations and precautions is the case of Dario Mendoza. He was a 26-year-old farmworker and father of two who tragically died of heat stroke in July 2023 in Yuma. Mendoza collapsed in a field as the temperature soared above 116 degrees.

Mendoza's story is tragically not isolated, as similar cases have occurred in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, as reported by the Attorney General's Office. In response, the attorney's coalition has urged OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard. This standard would include a heat exposure threshold and required preventive measures for farmworkers and construction workers by May 1st, before the onset of summer heat, as stated by the Attorney General's Office.

The regulations proposed by the coalition to OSHA include mandating that employers provide adequate amounts of cool water in or near the work area, at no cost to the workers. Additionally, they propose mandatory paid rest breaks if temperatures surpass 90 degrees, as well as implementing acclimatization programs for new workers who are not accustomed to extreme heat, among other measures.

The coalition further urged Congress and the White House to pass and sign the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act. This legislation, named after Asunción Valdivia, a farmworker who tragically died of heatstroke after working for 10 hours in extreme heat while picking grapes, aims to establish long-term protective measures for workers against extreme heat.

In addition to Mayes, attorneys general from New York, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania also signed the petition to OSHA. Copies of their letters to Congress and the White House can be found here.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona AG Kris Mayes pushes for heat protection for workers