WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's administration is proposing a rule aimed at addressing excessive heat in the workplace, as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories due to blistering temperatures.
If finalized, the measure unveiled Tuesday by the Democratic president would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job — establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind.
Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers, gardeners and workers in warehouses, factories and kitchens.
Last month was the hottest June on record in Phoenix with an average temperature of 97 degrees, almost two degrees warmer than the previous record in 2021.
The number of heat-related death investigations in Maricopa County is also at an alarming number already —111 deaths are still under investigation by the county medical examiner for heat-related causes. That is well beyond the 77 under investigation at this time last year.
