FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katelyn Parady, katelyn@nationalcosh.org, (307) 389-7387

Labor and community organizations with the Arizona Heat Standards Coalition (AHSC) are calling on Governor Katie Hobbs’ newly-formed Workplace Heat Safety Task Force to recommend an enforceable workplace heat injury and illness prevention standard.

Today, Coalition members emphasize that the governor’s new Task Force has an excellent opportunity to quickly move the state toward a permanent, enforceable Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard that protects all indoor and outdoor workers in Arizona.

“The evidence is clear that enforceable heat standards save lives, prevent illnesses and injuries, and reduce financial losses for working families and businesses alike,” said Cecilia Ortiz, a worker leader with SEIU and member of the City of Phoenix’s Heat Advisory Task Force. “Nowhere is that more critical than here in Arizona, where workers are exposed to some of the most extreme and longest-lasting heat in the country.”

“Best practices for workplace heat mitigation are well-documented. They include practical measures like adequate paid rest breaks, plentiful fresh water, access to cool air and shade, reduced work schedules, moving work to cooler parts of the day, acclimatization, and a buddy system so no worker is left alone,” noted Katelyn Parady of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. “However, lifesaving, evidence-based recommendations like these mean very little for workers unless they are codified in an enforceable standard with strong anti-retaliation protections.”

“Governor Hobbs’ Executive Order signals critical awareness of the urgent need to protect workers,” added Jazmin Moreno-Dominguez, Agave Community Threads organizer and coalition steering committee member, “but awareness alone isn’t enough. We urge this Task Force to go beyond recommendations and ensure that workers have what they truly need: standards with the force of law, not just suggestions.”

The AHSC pointed out that the Governor’s Advisory Task Force has a unique opportunity to recommend an enforceable standard with provisions developed specifically for Arizona’s extreme climate, like rest periods that increase as temperatures rise.

“Ask anyone working in the fields, on construction sites, in restaurant kitchens, or at our airports what it’s like to do their job when temperatures are over 110 or even 115 degrees,” said Martha Reyes of Arizona Jobs with Justice. “Our summer heat is getting worse. It’s common sense that if we want our communities and economy to keep running, the workers we rely on are going to need next-level protections.”

In calling on this Task Force to recommend actionable, enforceable standards, AHSC also reiterated their interest in continuing to collaborate and hold an active role in contributing to the work and ensuring Arizonans can rely on result-oriented support from our state government.

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