Workers in construction, sanitation, farm workers and others have dangerous jobs where they sustain injuries or worse. Every year dozens of workers die and thousands more become sick working in the heat. Under Federal OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) law, employers are responsible for providing workplaces that are free of known safety hazards, including protecting employees from extreme heat.
But the bosses usually ignore this law, and without union protection more workers will die. Thousands of Orleans Parish and Louisiana workers face this issue every year. The fact that it’s always hot here in the summer is no excuse and with global warming it’s getting worse every year. Young workers face this problem, and for old workers it’s more severe.
We need to organize to protect ourselves and other workers. Orleans Parish and the state of Louisiana should pass laws like other states that follow OSHA guidelines and protect workers against retaliation for standing up for our rights. But this won’t happen without a struggle because the bosses control their puppet politicians that they have paid to put in office.
Here are the OSHA guidelines. Print them out, give to your co-workers. If the New Orleans Workers Group can help contact us.
OSHA GUIDELINES:
• Provide workers with water, rest, and shade;
• Train workers to recognize symptoms in themselves and others;
• Allow new or returning workers to acclimatize by gradually increasing their workloads or allowing more frequent breaks;
• Reduce the physical demands of the job. If heavy job tasks cannot be avoided, change work/rest cycles to increase the amount of rest time;
• Monitor workers for signs and symptoms; and
• Implement an emergency response procedure.