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Parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona are set to experience the first heat wave of the season this week, experiencing triple-digit temperatures.
In Phoenix, for example, the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning citing “dangerously hot conditions” from Wednesday to Friday.
It follows the month of May in which heat records were broken, including in cities such as Miami and Tampa where daily records were broken and average monthly temperatures soared above the average.
“It does seem like Mother Nature is turning up the heat on us a little sooner than usual,” Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, stated on Monday.
With record temperatures coming earlier than expected, HR teams must be wary of the dangers this could bring to workers, particularly following the alarming rise in fatalities caused by the effectives of excessive heat.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), average annual heat-related deaths grew 95% in the US from 2010 to 2022. Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2023, found that deaths due to exposure to temperature extremes increased by 18.6% in 2022.
Moreover, more recent CDC data reveals that the death certificates of over 2,300 people who died in the US last summer reference the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years.
What the law says about worker safety
With death tolls mounting and worker safety on the line sooner than expected, HR teams need to act quickly to double and triple-check their safety protocols for staff if they have not done so already.
Without widespread heat protections at the federal level, HR teams should be wary that laws may vary from state to state, county to county, and city to city, and should seek legal advice on what standard and practices they must provide.
Only California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington have some form of state-wide legislation protecting workers from hazards associated with heat exposure. These are approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Other states, namely Florida and Texas, have introduced legislation banning local agencies from enforcing heat protection regulations following lobbying from business groups, claiming that employer protections are sufficient and that such regulations would be an unnecessary burden on businesses.
However, with rising death tolls, employers shouldn’t use a lack of legislation as a reason not to provide protection and support to their vulnerable workers.
A safe and healthy workplace is a non-negotiable for any HR team to create, and while this may begin with legal requirements, it does not have to be limited to them.
HR must protect workers against extreme heat
OSHA lists five strategies employers can take to protect workers.
These include training for supervisors and workers to recognize and control heat hazards; implementing controls to reduce heat stress; providing sufficient rest, shade, and fluids; determining whether total heat stress is too high for each worker throughout each day, including carryover from previous days; and taking extra precautions with new workers.
This may mean, where possible, adjusting working hours so workers are not carrying out labor during the heat of the day. Such a move would need forward planning from HR teams to balance worker safety with the completion of required work.
As expected or unexpected heat waves arrive, having a plan in place for major spikes can help reduce the disruption to the company while protecting staff from extreme temperatures.
For indoor workers who are less vulnerable than outdoor workers, employers could also take steps to ensure all staff in locations expecting soaring temperatures have access to air conditioning, and provide advice on managing extreme heat when working from home.
Crucially, HR teams must advocate for a culture of safety that focuses on the prevention of illness or death due to the effects of extreme heat.
Without effective enforcement from managers and leaders who recognize the need for rigorous controls to protect worker safety, any policies will be ineffective.
As temperatures reach record highs, and heatwaves arrive earlier than expected, worker safety must be at the front of HR’s mind. Lives will depend on it.
