Protecting Arkansas workers from heat is a hot topic

In most of the nation, all you need to do is to step outside to feel one of Arkansas’ deadliest hazards: extreme heat. So far in 2024, the dangers of heat illness have killed 34 workers both indoors and out.

In July, the U.S. Department of Labor announced publication of a proposed rule to reduce the significant health risks for workers exposed to hazardous heat in outdoor and indoor settings.

As heat sets new records across the nation, the risks people face on-the-job are also on the rise, especially in summer months. Each year, dozens of workers needlessly lose their lives and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazards that, sadly, are most often preventable.

As the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) moves through the required regulatory process to develop a new regulation that keeps workers safe from the dangers of heat, the agency will use its current authority to hold employers responsible when they fail to protect workers. It includes OSHA’s power to stop employers from exposing workers to imminent workplace dangers.

Since 2022, the agency has conducted heat-related inspections under its National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards. The program allows OSHA to proactively inspect workplaces where heat-related hazards are common to prevent workers’ needless injuries, illnesses or deaths. Since it began, the program has led to more than 7,000 federal heat-related inspections, including 39 inspections in Arkansas.

OSHA is also making inspections a priority in agricultural industries where temporary, nonimmigrant H-2A workers are employed seasonally. These workers can be especially vulnerable, often with language barriers, less control over living and working conditions and lack of time to acclimatize to the heat.

Federal law requires employers to protect people from all workplace dangers, including heat exposure. When heat is a concern, employers must − at a minimum − provide adequate cool water, rest breaks and shade or a cool rest area. New employees or those returning to a high-heat workplace should be given time to gradually get used to working in hot temperatures.

As we celebrate Labor Day, let’s remember that these protections must be applied equally to every worker. A safe and healthful workplace is every worker’s right, regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak, socio-economic status, or their gender.

No one should have to risk their safety, health, or life for simply going to work. America’s workers deserve to return home at the end of their shift in the same condition they began it.

Editor’s note: Kia McCullough is the OSHA area director in Little Rock. Her region includes the entire state of Arkansas. The opinions expressed are those of the author.