By RACHEL LANE
D.C. Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. —Increasingly warm temperatures have led the U.S. House to discuss safety guidelines in an effort to recommended standards addressing excessive heat. House Resolution 3668 was introduced on July 10 and would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue standards within 42 months. It would provide guidelines for indoor and outdoor workers with protections. “This hearing is about basic workplace safety protections that all workers need do their jobs and stay safe … Surely, we can agree that the millions of workers, who also endure intense heat each day to ensure our country runs smoothly, deserve those protections as well,” said Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), chair for the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. She said the Army and three states have standards to protect workers from the heat. From 1992-2016, exposure to excessive heat has killed 783 U.S. workers and seriously injured another 69,374. Farm workers have difficulty getting protections because almost 50 percent of the workforce is undocumented, said Arturo S. Rodriguez, former president of United Farm Workers of America. Only 29 percent of farm workers were citizens and 21 percent were permanent residents, according to a 2015-16 National Agriculture Workers Survey. Of the 2.5 million workers, about 250,000 had H-2A visas last year. He said the protective equipment used to protect workers from chemicals increase the risk of heat-related illnesses. “Today, I have the privilege and urgency of sitting before you, in an air-conditioned hearing room, while farm workers across the nation are toiling under the scorching sun to cultivate and harvest the food that reaches our tables,” Rodriguez said. He explained the basic protections needed for farm workers would include water, shaded breaks, and training to prevent illness and tragedies. “Protecting workers from heat can be achieved through common sense and feasible safeguards.” The risk of heat-related death is 20 times higher for crop workers than for other workers, he said. In 2005, California became the first state to implement Heat Illness Prevention standards for outdoor workers, after five agriculture workers died. The standards include training for all employees, free access to portable water near the workers, and access to shade for breaks. Deaths continued, said Rodriguez, and in 2015, the standards were updated to include enforcement of the guidelines. Both Democrats and Republicans were responsible for the action taken. “Although the agriculture industry was initially skeptical of the heat standard, it survived and thrived … in 2017, California experienced a 31 percent increase in cash receipts for all agricultural commodities, when compared to 2010,” Rodriguez said. “Farm workers sweat and sacrifice to feed millions of people across America and the world, and they shouldn’t risk death or illness just by going to work when temperatures soar.” Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) introduced the heat protection bill in California in 2005 and now at the U.S. House. She got involved after hearing stories of farm workers’ deaths that could have been prevented, but were caused by illegal actions. “Working in hot conditions raises the body’s internal temperature to dangerous levels. Without rest or cooling, workers suffer from heat stroke or heat exhaustion. That can bring on dizziness, nausea, or fainting,” she pointed out. If the symptoms continue long enough, organs can begin to fail. In the span of one eight- to 10-hour shift, a worker can die. A new report by Moody’s Analytics found that rising temperatures could cost the global economy as much as $69 trillion by 2100. Part of that cost is the result of workers’ health, Chu said. More information about the bill can be found online by searching “hr3668” at www.congress.gov |
