Protect Workers From Dangerous Heat on the Job
Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States. Brutal heat waves and record-breaking summers are becoming the norm, and there’s an epidemic of heat-related injuries and deaths that will only worsen in the coming years as our climate continues to change. CWA members work in environments, both inside and outside, that may involve potentially hazardous exposure to hot temperatures.
130 million workers around the country lack any protection from the dangers of heat stress, and from 1992 through 2017, exposure to excessive environmental heat killed 815 workers in the U.S. and seriously injured over 70,000. That’s unacceptable.
The solutions to heat-related injuries are common-sense: hydration, shade, and rest breaks. But most employers won't implement them voluntarily and the U.S. still doesn’t require workplace heat protections.
Safety on the job is every worker’s right. This Workers Memorial Week, we’re pushing for action and policy change to prevent future injuries and fatalities.
Our union has been a leader in bargaining with employers to ensure members are provided heat stress protections on the job, conducting member education programs, and promoting and establishing heat stress materials. CWA is working hard to protect members and fight for a federal heat standard so all workers are protected on the job.
Everyone deserves safety at work. Please add your name to the petition to demand federal heat stress protections for all workers:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/heatpetition/
In unity,
Beth
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Beth Allen
Communications Director
P.S. Check out CWA’s fact sheets on extreme temperatures and the workplace: https://cwa-union.org/national-issues/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-fact-sheets/temperature-extremes-and-workplace
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