Joe Biden, US president has trumpeted new rules from his administration that aim to protect Americans from extreme heat.
“Extreme heat is the No 1 weather-related killer in the United States,” Biden was quoted as saying at the Washington DC Emergency Operations Center. “More people die from extreme heat than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined.”
According to reports, the speech came hours after the White House unveiled a long-awaited proposal to establish the nation’s first-ever federal workplace standard for extreme heat.
“If finalized, the rule “will substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses and deaths for over 36m workers … construction workers, postal workers, manufacturing workers and so much more”, Biden said.
Labor and climate activists celebrated the administration’s new heat stress rule proposal, but finalizing it will be an uphill battle. It faces potential legal challenges from trade groups, and if Trump wins the November election, his administration could also refuse to greenlight the measure.
The White House also announced $1bn in grants for over 650 climate resilience projects across the country on Tuesday. Washington DC will receive over $3.5bn for infrastructure upgrades, said Muriel Bowser, the mayor, in her opening remarks.
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The rule- which was announced on Tuesday amid temperature warnings across the country- would require employers to establish heat safety coordinators, undergo extreme heat safety training, create and regularly update emergency heat response plans, and provide workers with shade and water.
It would also require a heat acclimatization process for new employees to gradually increase their exposure to high temperatures. The proposed rule includes specific safeguards for when the heat index in a workplace breaches 80F (27C), including increased access to water and temperature-controlled break rooms. At a 90F (32C) heat index, the standard would trigger additional protections, including paid 15-minute breaks every two hours, mandated observation of employees and hazard alerts for all workers.
According to the rule, employers who fail to meet the standard could be subject to fines. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s general-duty clause, workplaces with dangerous levels of heat stress can be subject to penalties of roughly $16,000; the rule would substantially increase that amount, administration officials said.
In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has released a new report showing the continued impacts of the climate crisis on people and ecosystems, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency will in the coming days finalize a rule to factor the impacts of flooding into all federally funded construction projects. And later this summer, the White House will also convene the first-ever White House summit on extreme heat, Biden said.
In Washington, the president railed against Republicans who “deny that climate change even exists”. Not a single congressional Republican voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, he noted, adding that many are now trying to repeal its green provisions. Donald Trump and “Maga Republicans in Congress” are working to “undo” the administration’s climate progress.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
