'It torments you': US workers lack protection from extreme heat
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Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the nation - yet protections for workers are widely lacking, according to advocates who say that failing to ensure people can take breaks for water or shade will lead to more severe illness, and deaths.
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California has had specific heat rules in place for outdoor workers since 2005 - like access to water and shade – though campaigners have been pushing for more, including rules for indoor workers, which are currently being developed.
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However, not all workers say they are seeing changes – and some are wary of reporting employers who flout the rules to the government's Occupational Safety and Health departments (OSHA), according to Kate Suisman, an attorney with the Portland-based Northwest Workers' Justice Project.
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Even with these regulations, there is still frustration and a need for clarification on enforcement, according to Edgar Franks, political director for Familias Unidas por La Justicia (Families United for Justice), a union group. However, Franks said the new standard marked a decent starting point.
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