Story at a glance
- Amid a major heat wave, Oregon employers will adopt new rules surrounding worker safety.
- Workers exposed to temperatures past 80 degrees Fahrenheit will need ample breaks and cool water.
- This follows a large death toll associated with the heat wave.
In the wake of a dramatic and record-breaking heat wave, Oregon adopted a new rule adding stricter regulations to worker safety amid dangerously hot conditions.
The Associated Press reports that this includes expanded access to shade and cool water, as well as more frequent breaks to cool off and report concerns. Some workers rights advocates say these are the most protective rules surrounding worker safety in the heat.
As temperatures rise at least 10 degrees above normal, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) mandated adopting these new regulations. The rule will be effective for 180 days.
“In the face of an unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Northwest — and tragic consequences — it is absolutely critical that we continue to build up our defenses against the effects of climate change, including extreme heat events,” said Andrew Stolfi, director of the state agency that includes Oregon OSHA.
For Oregon workers exposed to high temperatures past 80 degrees Fahrenheit, employers will be required to provide access to shade and ample supplies of cool drinking water.
If the heat moves past the 90-degree mark, employers must communicate with workers regarding heat-related illness and provide a shady cool-down rest location for 10 minutes every two hours.
Up and down the Pacific Northwest coast, people affected by the staggering heat have been hospitalized and even died from exposure.
More than 100 Oregonians died due to heat-related conditions, including a Guatemalan immigrant who was working outside at a plant nursery.
The death prompted an investigation into the working conditions at the site, along with more stringent protections for workers exposed to high temperatures.
“Oregon OSHA is taking an important step forward in leading the nation on standards for outdoors workers,” said Reyna Lopez, executive director of the Oregon farmworkers’ union, PCUN. “It’s crucial that we continue to take steps toward long-term policy shifts in our state, that take climate change, and workers safety seriously.”
Multiple locations across the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and Portland, saw heat in the triple digits over the past week.
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