PHOENIX — Arizona’s Workplace Heat Safety Task Force issued its final recommendations on how to protect workers from heat-related risks, Governor Katie Hobbs announced Wednesday.
The task force, established earlier this year with an executive order, is made up of leaders from the private sector, public sector and labor organizations as well as experts in health and occupational safety.
“Keeping hardworking Arizonans safe on the job has been a top priority of my administration since Day 1,” Hobbs said in the announcement. “These commonsense recommendations focusing on access to water, shade and rest will keep countless Arizonans out of harm’s way as they put food on the table and push our economy forward, including during the hot Arizona summers.”
“I’m grateful to the 24 members of our Workplace Safety Heat Task Force from the labor, business and advocacy communities who came together to find consensus and deliver best practices that any employer can implement.”
Once approved, the recommendations will be published by the Industrial Commission of Arizona.
What were the Workplace Heat Safety Task Force’s recommendations?
The task force’s recommendations are centered around employee acclimatization, heat safety training and providing access to water, shade and rest.
They also lay out Heat Illness Prevention Plan best practices for employers and touch on specific exemptions when it comes to emergency operations.
“The Industrial Commission of Arizona extends its sincere appreciation to the members of the Workplace Safety Heat Task Force for their collaborative effort in providing recommendations for heat guidelines for employers concerning heat risk to the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Advisory Committee,” Industrial Commission of Arizona Director Gaetano Testini said.
“Heat has long been a recognized hazard, and Arizona faces unique challenges with its variety of climates and industries. The Task Force effectively addressed and navigated these complexities as it delivered very actionable recommendations for the agency.”
The task force met four times in order to discuss, deliberate and evaluate heat safety strategies. Members would then meet with people in their respective industry groups after each meeting to share research, review language and have conversations.
After having a discussion and receiving feedback from the task force, ADOSH will work to provide downloadable template heat plans for employers and implement annual data publishing. The data will cover heat-related claims, complaints and citations so that effectiveness of the recommendations, implementations and education efforts can be evaluated.
ADOSH’s advisory committee will review the task force’s recommendation on Feb. 4 during a public meeting before it submits them to the Industrial Commission for final consideration.
It was noted that ADOSH will also be launching a recognition program to put a spotlight on employers who go above and beyond to protect workers from heat risks.
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