‘The era of global boiling has arrived,' says UN boss, as White House announces provisions to protect workers from extreme heat
“In some ways, we have a very long way to catch up to the governance gap in treating the heat as a true climate hazard,” Keith said. Instead, workers in many states who are exposed to extreme heat are ostensibly protected by what is known as the “general duty clause,” which requires employers to mitigate hazards that could cause serious injury or death. The clause permits state authorities to inspect work sites for violations, and many do, but there are no consistent benchmarks for determining what constitutes a serious heat hazard.
Many states are adopting their own versions of a federal “emphasis” program increasing inspections to ensure employers offer water, shade and breaks, but citations and enforcement still must go through the general duty clause.