Pennsylvania considers heat safety bill for workers

Pennsylvania lawmakers will consider creating a law that would require employers to protect their workers from extreme heat and heat-related illnesses and death.

H.B. 1580, introduced Tuesday, would call on the state’s labor secretary to create regulations that mirror others nationwide, including that which is being proposed or enacted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Division, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Pennsylvania’s proposal included requirements for training, emergency response plans, paid rest breaks, acclimatization, shade requirements, and “precautions for employees who have notified the employer of the employee’s preexisting risk or greater likelihood of developing a heat-related injury or heat-related illness.”