Workers toiling in extreme heat may get federal relief. Miami employers shouldn’t wait
For years, thousands of workers from Florida to California have been campaigning for basic on-the-job protections such as access to clean water and the right to take brief rests in the shade when the weather is especially hot. The Biden administration’s new heat safety initiative — which in addition to protecting workers on the job, also seeks to protect children, the elderly and communities at risk — is a step in the right direction.
Currently, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) does not track on-the-job heat deaths, but every attempt to do so suggests that every year, heat kills dozens of workers and injures thousands more, all across the country. Florida has more outdoor workers than most states, and Miami-Dade County has 300,000 of them — more than any other part of the state. As the climate continues to warm up, more and more workers are risking their health — and even their lives — to make a living.
They hold the kinds of jobs labeled “essential” during the pandemic, but their pay, working conditions and lack of health benefits don’t reflect their value to society. The people we depend on to grow and pick our fruits and vegetables; build our homes, schools, churches and workplaces; deliver our packages; keep the roads we drive on in good repair — all are exposed to heat risk, and that risk keeps increasing because of climate change.
Given their over-representation in industries vulnerable to extreme heat, workers of color bear the brunt of this crisis. Since 2010, Hispanic workers have accounted for a third of all on-the-job heat deaths, despite being only 17% of the work force.
When WeCount! surveyed plant nursery workers in South Miami-Dade, 69% said they had experienced symptoms of heat illness. Over half said they were not allowed to rest in the shade, and 15% had no access to safe drinking water.
This is why a growing number of South Florida’s outdoor workers have joined WeCount! to launch the ¡Que Calor! campaign, a worker-led initiative to educate outdoor workers on extreme heat and win enforceable workplace protections: water, shade, rest.
José Delgado, a farmworker in Homestead, is one of these workers. Jose’s involvement started after a frightening incident on the job. José was working sweet potato fields during a particularly hot day, and kept working despite not feeling well. His vision blurred, his head began to pound and he collapsed. Doctors said his kidneys were failing, and if he had ended up in the hospital any later, he probably would have died. Today, he’s 72 and still has to work. On very hot days, his life remains in danger.
In addition to kidney damage, extreme heat and humidity can cause heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death. It can damage hearts and lungs and worsen chronic diseases. By 2065, it’s expected that climate change will quadruple U.S. outdoor workers’ exposure to hazardous heat conditions, and reduce the number of days and hours they are able to work. The Union of Concerned Scientists projects that Florida workers could lose $8.4 billion in total annual earnings because of extreme heat.
We welcome the White House’s announcement that heat protection for workers is coming, but it’s also true that the federal rule-making process is slow and can take many years. Florida’s outdoor workers cannot afford to wait any longer for protection. Every summer that passes, more workers will get sick and die of extreme heat. That’s why we need to take local action, too. Miami-Dade has exhibited leadership on the issue of extreme heat, including the appointment of the world’s first chief heat officer. But we can and must do more. The health and lives of thousands of workers depend on it.
Nobody should want the food on their table, the plants in their apartments and offices or their new roof to come at the cost of workers’ lives. No employer should be cavalier with employees, for moral reasons and for economic ones. At a moment when many businesses say they can’t find enough workers to hire, it’s especially smart to take good care of the workers they’ve already got. Without workers, there is no economy.
Miami-Dade growers, construction companies landscapers and other outdoor employers should not wait for new federal rules, but should act immediately to protect their workers.
They can offer rest breaks, shade and water in accordance with guidance from OSHA and the CDC. They can tell their workers how to look out for symptoms of heat stress. They can partner with the organizations we represent — WeCount! and the AFLCIO South Florida Building Trades Council — to develop common-sense solutions that protect the health of workers and promote responsible employment practices.
Outdoor workers have always been essential to our economy and our communities in South Florida. It’s time we treated their lives and health as essential, too.
Oscar Londoño is the executive director of WeCount!, a membership-based organization of agricultural workers, day laborers, and domestic workers in South Florida. Mark Schaunaman is the president of AFL-CIO South Florida Building Trades Council, which represents construction trades throughout the South Florida region.