Biden Admin. Proposes Workplace Heat Protection Regulations

Facts

• The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule — put forth by the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration — that would create protections for employees working in excessive heat.¹
• If implemented, the proposal would become the first federal standard to address excessive workplace heat. The White House claims about 36M workers would be granted protections that substantially reduce the risks of heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths.²
• The rule would require employers to identify heat hazards, develop emergency response plans for heat illnesses, establish mandatory rest breaks, provide access to shade and water, and offer heat acclimatization for new employees.³
• The proposal includes two heat index thresholds based on temperature and humidity. When the heat index breaches 80°F, employers would be required to provide water and break areas, while at the 90°F heat index, they must give 15-minute breaks every two hours.¹
• In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced nearly $1B in grants for 656 projects aimed at helping communities protect against natural disasters. The Environmental Protection Agency is also releasing a new report on the impacts of climate change on the US.²
• Extreme temperatures have killed an estimated 815 workers between 1992 and 2017 and seriously injured about 70K. However, the Labor Department began work on the heat regulations in September 2021 after a heat dome directly killed 80 people in Oregon.⁴

Sources: ¹CBS, ²The White House, ³Associated Press and ⁴Politico.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Guardian. While Republicans continue to deny the climate crisis, Biden is implementing desperately needed regulations that will protect workers from heat-related illnesses. Around the US and the entire world, record-shattering temperatures are leading to increased disease and death for thousands of workers. Biden is distinguishing himself from his Republican opponents on the most critical issue of our time, and he must be re-elected to continue this effort.
• Republican narrative, as provided by PJ Media. The Biden administration is trying to capitalize on climate propaganda to push a dangerous agenda that erodes Americans' liberties. Radical climate alarmists have taken over our institutions, distorting data and pushing lies to scare the public. The left will claim that temperatures are at an all-time high, but there's plenty of data that debunks those alarmist claims. The Democrats thrive on generating hysteria to seize more and more power for themselves.

Predictions