Voters Want Companies to Protect Workers From Extreme Temperatures While on the Job
By Margo Kenyon, Grace Adcox, Anika Dandekar, and Catherine Fraser
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a proposed rule earlier this month outlining steps that employers must take to protect indoor and outdoor workers from the negative effects of extreme heat. Extreme heat is the No. 1 weather-related cause of death in the United States, and a leading cause of workplace fatalities, a fact that is quite concerning given that temperatures fueled by climate change are only predicted to increase in the foreseeable future.
The new OSHA proposal addresses these concerns, in addition to responding to an order from the Biden-Harris administration to find ways to prevent workplace heat-related deaths. New polling from Data for Progress shows that the administration is not alone in these concerns, with 84% of likely voters expressing that they are somewhat or very concerned about workers facing extreme heat while at the workplace. This includes 90% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 80% of Republicans.
After voters learn that in most of the U.S., employers are not obligated to provide their employees breaks to cool off or drink water, their concern about workers facing extreme heat while at the workplace rises to 88%.
Voters then read a description of the recently proposed OSHA rule to protect workers from extreme heat. Voters were informed that the rule would require employers to:
Provide accessible drinking water
Provide designated shaded or indoor break areas
Have a protocol for new employees to gradually adjust to working in heat
Use air conditioning or have air circulation indoors if temperatures reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Enforce mandatory rest breaks, buddy systems, or supervisor observations in heat above 90 degrees Fahrenheit
Train employees on symptoms of heat illness and emergency protocols, in multiple languages
Given the high levels of concern about workers exposed to extreme heat conditions in the workplace, it is unsurprising that 90% of respondents say they support the proposed OSHA rule. This includes an overwhelming 96% of Democrats and 86% of both Independents and Republicans.
Next, voters were asked about the individual components of the proposed OSHA rule. Respondents demonstrate particularly strong support for requiring employers to provide access to drinking water (93%), with 94% of Democrats in support, as well as 90% of Independents and 92% of Republicans.
Voters share similarly high enthusiasm for many of the provisions within the proposed rule. More than 9 of 10 voters support requiring employers to provide designated shaded or indoor break areas (91%) and to train employees on symptoms of heat illness and emergency protocols, including in multiple languages to match the needs of their diverse workforce (91%).
Voters also express strong support for other components of the proposed rule, including:
90% in support of requiring employers to institute mandatory rest breaks, buddy systems, or supervisor observation in heat conditions about 90 degrees Fahrenheit
88% in support of requiring employers to use air conditioning or have air circulation indoors if temperatures reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
83% in support of requiring employers to set a protocol for new employees to gradually adjust to working in the heat, given research showing a large portion of heat-related workplace deaths happen in the first few days an employee is on the job
In addition to the provisions laid out in the proposed OSHA rule, some organizations and lawmakers have called for more protections against extreme heat in the workplace, including requiring employers to pay workers for time spent taking heat breaks, ensuring that workers who often are paid at a piece rate based on how quickly they work can also benefit from these protections on the job.
Likely voters were also asked whether they would support or oppose these additional components to strengthen the proposed rule, including ensuring that workers are paid for time spent taking heat breaks and establishing a third-party hotline where workers can anonymously report violations of the extreme heat rule. When asked about each additional component, 83% of voters respond that they are supportive of both proposals.
Finally, respondents were asked to consider two statements about OSHA’s recent proposal regarding heat requirements for workers, and then select which statement best describes their view. An overwhelming majority (85%) say that they agree more with the view that extreme heat rules are necessary, and that employers should be required by law to protect workers to the fullest extent possible as extreme heat becomes more deadly each year. Only 9% of likely voters agree more with a statement that claims these rules are unnecessary, and that it would be costly to enforce additional requirements around extreme heat, including decreasing business productivity in the workplace.
This data underscores a strong national consensus in favor of legally requiring employers to protect workers from the harmful effects of extreme heat. These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive workplace regulations to ensure the health and safety of employees facing increasingly severe heat conditions.
Margo Kenyon is the climate and energy program intern at Data for Progress.
Grace Adcox (@GraceAdcox) is the Senior Climate Strategist at Data for Progress.
Anika Dandekar (@AnikaDandekar) is a senior analyst at Data for Progress.
Catherine Fraser (@cathwfraser)is the Senior Climate and Energy Program Associate at Data for Progress.