Safety and Health

BAC Local 1 MD/VA/DC member Yaneth Valencia spoke about her personal experience of working in the heat and how her employer protects workers from the heat stress.

BAC Advocates for Bill to Protect Workers from Heat-Related Illness and Fatality

On July 20, BAC officers and members joined US Representative Judy Chu (D-CA), Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), and the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) in a press conference to advocate for workplace heat stress protections and call for a swift legislative action to speed up the implementation of the first federal heat stress, workplace standards.

Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related workplace hazards. Workers who do their jobs outside or in locations that are not air conditioned, including most construction workers, work under extreme weather conditions are the most at-risk for heat-related illness. Every year, thousands become sick from occupational heat exposure, and too many cases are fatal.

US Representative Judy Chu (D-CA), who introduced the Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act in April 2021, called for a federal standard for protections against occupational exposure to excessive heat in both indoor and outdoor conditions. “California is the first state that adopted the heat standard for outdoor workers,” she said. “Data shows that the heat safety standard has resulted in a 30 percent reduction in heat-related injuries and illnesses. It suggests that a national standard would prevent more than

50,000 heat-related injuries and illnesses a year.”

BAC President Tim Driscoll’s speech amplified the responsibility of contractor partners in protecting our workers. “Construction workers make up six percent of the workforce in the United States, but account for one third of all heat-related occupational deaths in this country,” he said. “Our responsible contractor partners need to make sure members are provided necessary relief – from ice water to breaks in heat as needed, and other forms of protection. It’s our intention to work with the Biden Administration and our allies in Congress to pass this bill.”

Senator Alex Padilla’s remarks echoed the urgency of passing a federal standard for heat stress protections. “Our country has never passed a federal standard to protect workers from the increasingly hazardous conditions,” he said. “OSHA must act on this problem with the urgency that workers deserve. We simply can’t afford to wait.”

Yaneth Valencia, BAC Local 1 MD/VA/DC member and employee of signatory contractor Lorton Stone, also spoke about her personal experience of working in the heat. She expressed the important role that employers play in workplace safety. “Working in the sun with full PPE, including respirators, is very difficult. Our company provides ice and water during the warm months, and we are allowed to take breaks when necessary. Covered rest areas are also provided to us at the site,” she said. “Luckily, I have not fallen sick because of my union.” //

Safety Webinar Addresses Heat-Related Illness Prevention

As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat illness in construction workers. On July 28, led by IU Executive Vice President Jerry Sullivan, IU Manager of Health and Safety Programs Liliana Calderon, IMTEF South Regional Training Director Dave Donkin, and IMTEF National Safety Director Dave Wysocki, a webinar focusing on heat illness prevention was held for BAC members, training instructors, and signatory contractors.

“From 2011 to 2019, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 344 work-related deaths due to environmental heat exposure,” Donkin said, starting the webinar by showing the statistics. “Among the 344 work-related deaths in this period, 51 percent of them were due to heat exposure by working in construction.”

Speakers also touched on four common heat-related illnesses among construction workers, including heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. They further covered the steps on how to stay safe in heat, understand the warning signs, and how to prevent heat-related illness. Resources on the topic are also provided at the end of the webinar. To watch the recorded webinar, visit: https://bit.ly/3BERErg

BAC regularly hosts educational webinars for members, training instructors, and signatory contractors to learn more about safety and health topics. Each webinar covers a unique topic to help participants understand health and safety issues and equip themselves with sufficient knowledge to ensure that BAC members are working in safe and healthy environment. Go to bacweb.org to find out more. //