FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 2026

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

PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona workers and labor advocates gathered outside the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday to demonstrate what it is like to work in triple-digit temperatures and why workers need enforceable statewide heat protections guaranteeing access to water, cool air and shade, rest, training, and more. 

During “Walk an Hour in a Worker’s Shoes: Arizona Workplace Heat Demonstration,” roofers, landscapers, airport ramp workers, and farmworker representatives demonstrated the physically demanding tasks they perform outdoors during Arizona’s heat season. Community members and other attendees were invited to participate in the demonstrations and experience a glimpse of what workers endure on the job.

The demonstration, organized by the Arizona Heat Standards Coalition, took place at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza as part of the Fired Up! National Week of Heat Action, a nationwide mobilization led by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH).

50 workers, advocates, and community members participated in the event, which showcased an aircraft cargo bin loading simulation, a melon harvesting activity, a roofing demonstration, and a series of landscaping tasks. Each station was designed by frontline workers. 

“For us, working in the heat is not a temporary experience or an exercise. It’s a daily reality, and it hurts our health, especially when we have to work under pressure without safeguards,” said Alejandro Valencia, a staff member and worker leader with the Josefina Ahumada Center. “I hope today helped people understand that an enforceable heat standard isn’t something that’d be nice to have. It’s essential, just like we are.” 

“Growing up working in my family’s landscaping business, I know how hard heat is on the body,” said Ricardo Reyes, Executive Director of VetsForward. “It’s a serious daily challenge to stay hydrated and protected. And sadly, not all employers do the right thing or have access to the right safety information. A clear, enforceable standard will clarify those responsibilities and guarantee all workers get what they need to be safe.” 

Arizona workers are routinely exposed to dangerous heat in construction, landscaping, agriculture, airport operations, delivery services, warehouses, and other indoor and outdoor workplaces. Yet Arizona still does not have a comprehensive, enforceable statewide workplace heat standard guaranteeing essential protections for all workers.

The Arizona Heat Standards Coalition has secured improvements to the state’s heat-related workplace inspection and enforcement efforts. However, the state’s special emphasis program is not the same as an enforceable heat standard. Workers and advocates are urging the Industrial Commission of Arizona to move forward without delay with the formal rulemaking necessary to establish strong, permanent protections.

“Workers brought the reality of extreme workplace heat directly to the State Capitol,” said Katelyn Parady, Associate Director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. “It was twenty degrees cooler than it usually is at this time of year, and yet many of us still struggled to complete the tasks that frontline workers do day in and day out. The Industrial Commission of Arizona needs to put an enforceable heat standard in place now. Workers cannot afford to wait through another dangerous heat season. 

The demonstration was part of activities taking place across the country during the Fired Up! National Week of Heat Action, August 10-16. Workers, unions, worker centers, COSH groups, and community organizations are holding rallies, trainings, marches, safety-kit distributions, and other activities to demand stronger protections from deadly workplace heat.

The five Commissioners of the Industrial Commission of Arizona were unable to attend Wednesday’s demonstration. Workers and advocates invited commissioners to join them at their workplaces during the remainder of Arizona’s heat season to see firsthand the conditions workers face every day and why enforceable protections cannot wait.