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Move to Protect California’s Indoor Workers From Heat Upended by Cost Questions

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Samantha Young
Fri, 22 Mar 2024 02:01:38 +0000

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration unexpectedly yanked its support from a sweeping proposal that would have protected millions of California’s indoor workers from dangerous heat, saying it can’t endorse it without knowing the projected costs to the state.

But the board that oversees worker safety immediately defied the administration Thursday by unanimously approving new standards intended to protect people who work in poorly ventilated warehouses, steamy restaurant kitchens, and other indoor job sites.

The showdown represents a setback to the state’s climate and labor policy goals, and throws the fate of the rules into unknown territory. They had been expected to take effect by summer.

The move by the Democratic administration angered board members, who called it a “last-minute stunt” that undermines their regulatory process. It also sparked a protest by warehouse workers, who temporarily shut down the meeting as they waved signs declaring that “Heat Kills!” and loudly chanted, “What do we want? Heat protection! When do we want it? Now!”

“We got blindsided today, and I don’t think it was fair,” said David Thomas, chair of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, who became visibly upset several times during the meeting. “They hung our ass out to dry.”

The rules to protect indoor workers had been years in the making, but Newsom’s Department of Finance informed board staffers the night before the vote that it couldn’t sign off. They told us “the potential fiscal impacts on public sector entities haven’t been fully analyzed,” Eric Berg, deputy chief of health and research and standards at California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, reported to the board.

Newsom spokesperson Omar Rodriguez declined to comment. But Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer disputed the characterization of the administration’s concerns as “last-minute.” He said the administration has held meetings with board staffers for weeks to discuss estimates for how much it would cost the state to implement the rules in its own buildings. They provided the most recent estimates to Palmer’s department in February.

By law, the Department of Finance is required to approve a fiscal review for any regulation that would have significant economic impacts.

For example, the indoor heat standard proposal could cost the state billions of dollars just to keep its prisons cool enough for workers and inmates, Palmer said, based on the board’s estimate.

“We need to evaluate that. Is it too high? Is it on point?” he said. “This is not a decision made in an arbitrary manner or concerning policy. We did not have the time to do due diligence.”

Palmer would not comment on how much longer it would take to analyze the cost of the rule.

The deadline to keep the proposal on track is March 30. Otherwise the years-long regulatory process may have to start from scratch. But this is unknown territory, and board members said at the March 21 meeting they are not sure how to proceed. Some suggested they could adopt emergency regulations — but even that would take time.

The state has had heat standards on the books for outdoor workers since 2005, and indoor workplaces were supposed to be next. The proposed standard would require work sites to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and below 82 degrees in places where workers wear protective clothing or are exposed to radiant heat, such as furnaces. Buildings could be cooled with air conditioning, fans, misters, and other methods.

For businesses that couldn’t cool their workplaces sufficiently, such as laundries or restaurant kitchens, where commercial boilers, ovens, and fryers operate, the rule would offer them the option of giving workers cooldown areas and other relief.

Some businesses have expressed fear that they won’t be able to meet the requirements if they are enacted, even with the flexibility the regulation offers. Providing a place for a kitchen worker to cool down in a small restaurant, for example, might not be feasible, according to the California Restaurant Association.

But workers and labor advocates demanded at the March 21 meeting that the board take action, saying employers must protect workers and adapt to a warming climate.

“How many workers have to end up hospitalized or, even worse, end up dying because of heat illness, because there’s no protections put in place?” Yesenia Barrera, an organizer with the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, asked board members.

Heat stress can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, cardiac arrest, and kidney failure. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,600 heat-related deaths, which is likely an undercount because health care providers are not required to report them. It’s not clear how many of these deaths are related to work, either indoors or outdoors.

In California, 20 workers died from heat between 2010 and 2017, seven of them because of indoor heat, according to the Rand Corp., which analyzed the state’s proposed indoor heat rules.

Only two other states, Minnesota and Oregon, have adopted heat rules for indoor workers, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nationally, legislation has stalled in Congress, and even though the Biden administration has initiated the long process of establishing national heat standards for outdoor and indoor work, the rules are likely to take years to finalize.

California regulators have crafted the indoor rules to complement the state’s protections for outdoor workers. Those say that when temperatures exceed 80 degrees, employers must provide shade and observe workers for signs of heat illness. At or above 95 degrees, they must come up with ways to prevent heat illness, such as reducing work hours or providing additional breaks. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington also have rules for outdoor workers.

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. 

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By: Samantha Young
Title: Move to Protect California’s Indoor Workers From Heat Upended by Cost Questions
Sourced From: kffhealthnews.org/news/article/california-indoor-heat-labor-regulation-newsom-withdraws-support/
Published Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 02:01:38 +0000

Kaiser Health News

As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending

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kffhealthnews.org – Don Thompson – 2024-11-14 04:00:00

SUMMARY: California is using state and federal stockpiles to provide up to 10,000 farmworkers with safety gear as the state reports 21 human cases of bird flu. The state began distributing protective equipment in May and has confirmed bird flu at over 270 dairies. Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, California is improving emergency responses and maintaining a stockpile that includes millions of face masks. However, due to financial constraints, funding for disaster supplies has been cut, and some preparedness programs were reduced or eliminated. A ballot measure to increase pandemic preparedness funding failed after its key financial supporter was convicted.

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Kaiser Health News

After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone

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kffhealthnews.org – Kate Wells, Michigan Public – 2024-11-14 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician in Flint, Michigan, is championing the Rx Kids program, a pioneering cash aid initiative that provides $1,500 mid-pregnancy and $500 monthly for a child’s first year to Flint families. Since its January launch, nearly all babies born in Flint are enrolled, aiding parents with essential needs like diapers and food. While Rx Kids aims to reduce poverty and inspire lawmakers and donors, challenges remain for expansion in underserved regions like Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where substantial private funding is needed. Ongoing efforts seek to raise awareness and secure resources for this impactful program.

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Kaiser Health News

California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials

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kffhealthnews.org – Claudia Boyd-Barrett – 2024-11-12 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Jason Farned and his team at the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District have been preparing for dengue’s arrival, with the virus now detected in California. The spread of Aedes mosquitoes, capable of transmitting dengue, has been fueled by climate change and international trade. In 2023, California saw 13 locally acquired cases, prompting efforts like surveillance, pesticide applications, and public education. Authorities are also exploring techniques like sterile mosquito releases to reduce populations. Public cooperation is key, as Aedes mosquitoes are now established in 24 counties, and local outbreaks pose a growing threat to public health.

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