TUCSON -- With high temperatures forecast again next week in Tucson and Phoenix, workers and safety advocates will gather online this coming Thursday, August 19th  for a Speak Out on Arizona’s Workplace Heat Crisis.

Who:  Arizona workers and safety advocates

Peter Dooley, Arizona Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (AZ COSH)

Jessica Martinez, co-executive director, National Council on Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH)

Testimony from:

Shannon Foley, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 415

Antonio Pineda, Southside Worker Center, Tucson

What:    Speak out on Arizona Heat Crisis, plus Heat Protection Training and Support for Workplace Organizing

Where:  Register on Zoom at tinyurl.com/heatspeakout

When:  Thursday, August 19, 4 pm to 5:30 pm, MST

“Heat stress injures and kills workers,” said Shannon Foley, a member of IATSE Local 415 and volunteer with the Arizona Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. “Now that extreme heat is a fact of life in Arizona, we have to learn to keep ourselves safe-- and we have to organize to win life-saving protections from our employers.”

July was the hottest month ever recorded, with temperatures in Arizona topping 100 degrees, and drought and wildfire conditions throughout the state. Extreme temperatures, a result of human-induced climate change, will be a fact of life for years to come.  This presents dangerous hazards to workers in both indoor and outdoor settings in agriculture, construction, warehousing, manufacturing and other industries.

Heat stress can be fatal; hundreds of worker deaths have been recorded in the U.S in the past decade, but many heat-related fatalities are missed due to inadequate recordkeeping. The jobs at the highest risk of heat stress illness and death, in industries like agriculture and construction, are disproportionately held by people of color.

The virtual speakout on Arizona’s Workplace Heat Crisis this coming Thursday, August 19th will feature:

• Testimonies from Arizona workers on their experience while working in extreme heat conditions
• Heat Protection Training from safety experts, with crucial information on how to keep yourself and your co-workers safe during extreme heat conditions
• Support for workplace organizing and action steps workers can take to win protections from their employers.

The Arizona Workplace Heat Crisis Speakout is sponsored by Arizona COSH and moderated by National COSH.