Dear NRDC Activist,

Ronald Silver II, a 36-year-old Baltimore Department of Public Works sanitation worker who collapsed on someone’s doorstep looking for water last month. Juan José Ceballos, a 32-year-old migrant farmworker in North Carolina. Wednesday “Wendy” Johnson, a 51-year-old U.S. Postal Service employee in North Carolina who drove in an “easy bake oven” truck without air conditioning.

They all died while working in extreme heat — a worsening problem for workers, especially as climate change is driving up temperatures around the country.

Too many workers spend strenuous days in extreme heat without enough water or cool places to rest. That’s why OSHA has proposed its first-ever extreme heat safety standard to protect workers.

OSHA is now seeking public comments – this is our chance to tell the agency to quickly finalize a strong heat safety standard and save lives.

Federal data suggests that in an average year, about 40 workers die and nearly 3,400 others miss at least one day of work from heat-related causes. And these numbers “are likely vast underestimates” according to OSHA.

We can help save the next worker’s life. Tell OSHA to rapidly finalize the first-ever federal heat standard.

OSHA’s proposal would require employers to provide basic and common sense services on hot days: water, cool places to rest, and training and education on how to keep workers safe. Though the proposal is a good place to start, OSHA needs to hear from us that we want a strong heat standard with requirements like mandatory, rather than encouraged, breaks.

The current proposal would protect about 36 million outdoor and indoor workers – do your part to help workers survive extreme heat.

Sincerely,

Juanita Constible
Senior Advocate, Environmental Health, NRDC

P.S. Read more about heat stress on outdoor workers and how indoor workers need protection from extreme heat too.