What is the new OSHA rule? Biden proposes heat protection rules as U.S. heats up

This Biden Administration On Tuesday, new regulations were proposed to address the problem excessive heat in the workplace, warning that high temperatures are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the country, with nearly 90 million people in the U.S. affected heat warningsU.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require employers to provide workers with water, shade and breaks when temperatures reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), and the requirements become more stringent at 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).
“Workers across the country are fainting, suffering heat strokes and dying from exposure to heat from doing their jobs and something needs to be done to protect them,” said OSHA chief Douglas Parker. President Joe Biden highlighted the proposal as one of several steps his administration is taking to address the problem extreme weather“More people die from extreme heat than from floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined,” Biden said.
Tuesday was a hot day in California, and temperatures are expected to worsen during the week of the July 4 holiday. The National Weather Service said the hot conditions are being caused by a ridge of high pressure off the West Coast and another ridge that is extending heat warnings from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast.
California’s capital, Sacramento, is under a heat warning through Sunday evening, with temperatures expected to reach 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 to 46 degrees Celsius). Sacramento resident John Mendoza described it as a “hot fire hose” as he walked through the Capitol with an iced coffee. “I felt like I had to dive in,” he said.
About 70 miles north of Sacramento, firefighters battled a wildfire in Butte County that prompted evacuation orders for about 13,000 people in Oroville. The blaze, dubbed the Thompson Fire, quickly spread to more than 3 square miles (7.7 square kilometers) by evening. Crews braced for nighttime winds as helicopters dropped water on the fast-moving flames.
In Sacramento, homeless Katherine Powers sought shade in Cathedral Square. She hasn’t yet visited any of Sacramento County’s nine cooling centers because of the difficulty of carrying her belongings. “I’ll just go to the park with the fountain to cool off,” she said. Darlene Crumedy of Fairfield shuns air conditioning because of the high cost, saying, “I’m OK, I have a hundred fans.”
An analysis by the Associated Press found that heat killed more than 2,300 people in the United States last year, and the number of heat-related deaths is likely underreported. Dr. Arthur Jey, an emergency room physician at Sutter Health in Sacramento, emphasized the importance of staying hydrated and recognizing the signs of heatstroke, such as unusual behavior and heavy sweating. “With heatstroke, it looks like a stroke,” he said.
The proposed rules are expected to face opposition and possible lawsuits from businesses and trade groups. Currently, only California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington have standards for heat exposure in the workplace. The new federal rules would supersede state standards, requiring them to implement measures at least as stringent as the federal requirements.
As the hottest month of the year approaches, millions of Americans are at increased risk of heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses. OSHA’s proposal does not apply to sedentary or teleworkers, emergency response workers, or indoor workplaces where temperatures remain below 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).
At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report highlighting the effects of climate change, including heat-related workplace deaths. “This year’s report adds heat-related workplace deaths and marine heatwaves as climate change “indicators,” the EPA official noted.
The Biden administration’s actions are aimed at easing the human and financial costs of climate change, which last year caused $90 billion in damage to the economy. “These climate-driven extreme weather events don’t just affect people’s lives. They also cost money, they hurt the economy, and they have significant negative psychological impacts on people,” Biden said.