The Biden administration is moving to protect workers and communities from extreme heat.
The initiative comes after a dangerously hot summer that included an onslaught of drought-worsened wildfires and hundreds of deaths from the Pacific Northwest to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana.
Under a plan announced Monday, the Labor Department and other federal agencies are launching actions intended to reduce heat-related illness and protect public health.
White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy calls heat stress a “silent killer” that disproportionately affects the poor, elderly and minority groups. While not as dramatic as wildfires or hurricanes, “heat stress is a significant, real threat that has deadly consequences,″ McCarthy said.
The effort to address heat stress comes as President Joe Biden is working with world leaders to hammer out next steps against climate change.
As part of the administration’s plan, the Labor Department is launching a program to protect outdoor workers, including agricultural, construction and delivery workers, as well as those working indoors in warehouses, factories and kitchens. Farm and construction workers are at greatest risk of heat stroke and other problems, the White House said, but other workers lacking climate-controlled environments also face risks.
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