Feeling the heat: How temperature-specific legislation could keep workers and businesses cool

After this year’s sweltering summer, it’s a relief to know that cooler months are coming. Some of us are lucky enough to crank up the AC or head to the pool when temperatures creep toward 100 degrees. But the lineman in Scranton, the farmworker in Lancaster, the meatpacker in Reading – they and countless others like them don’t have that luxury. These are the workers who have no choice but to brave the elements to support their families and keep Pennsylvania running. As lawmakers, we cannot face another record-setting summer in the shade while our neighbors are left vulnerable.

2025 is shaping up to be one of the hottest years on record, with future temperatures very likely to increase due to climate change. And this extreme heat is not just uncomfortable – it’s deadly. On average, heat kills more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined. For workplace deaths, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that nearly 1,000 workers died from exposure to heat between 1992-2021, though these numbers are likely underestimates. 

These numbers represent real people: parents, friends, and neighbors who went to work in the morning but never made it home. One of them was 38-year-old Sebastian Perez, a farmworker who died during a brutal heatwave in 2021. Another was 36-year-old Ronald Silver II, a sanitation worker in Baltimore who died in 2024 during a Code Red heat advisory. Both men died on the job – deaths that could have been prevented.

On Labor Day weekend this year, we introduced our Workplace Heat Protections Bill in the House. House Bill 1580 is designed to prevent tragedies by requiring employers to offer paid rest breaks, water, and access to shade during extreme heat for both indoor and outdoor workers. These measures may seem simple, but they can be potentially lifesaving. 

This bill is modeled after heat protections that OSHA is currently developing. However, as we’ve seen over the last few months, relying on the federal government currently leaves states vulnerable to instability and broken promises. The outcome and strength of these federal workplace regulations are uncertain. It’s hard to feel hopeful when the Trump administration has taken steps to lay off experts and reduce research on climate- and heat-related initiatives, as well as worker safety.

It’s more important than ever to secure protections at the state level. By passing HB 1580, Pennsylvania would join states like Maryland, Nevada, Colorado, and Minnesota that already have heat protection legislation. 

The human impact is huge. But the legislation has many benefits, ultimately providing for a strong economy and workforce, as well. The disruptions caused by worker hospitalization and death are detrimental to workplace operations, as are the associated costs of training and hiring new workers. A study from the Center for American Progress found that heat-related declines in productivity could cost the U.S. an average of $100 billion per year, potentially reaching $500 billion by 2050. We also know that healthy workers contribute to healthy economies. 

We are hopeful that our colleagues in the House and Senate will recognize the vital importance of this legislation. Together,, we can improve and save the lives of countless workers in industries as diverse as construction, farm work, food service, education, and healthcare. Water, shade, and rest: It’s so simple, but with this one change, we can save lives across the commonwealth.