GUEST COLUMN: New Mexico needs to work to ensure heat safety

New Mexico may be enjoying cooler temperatures now, but in a few short months, the state’s workers, including thousands of union members, will face another summer with temperatures that make their jobs unsafe. On high-heat days, jobs as varied as farming, construction, education, warehousing, food service and package delivery put workers at risk and force the hard decision between making a living and staying alive.

The dangers for workers are clear. Almost all occupational heat-related deaths happen when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. (link to this: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1048291120933819) And when temperatures top 90 degrees, research shows that injuries on the job rise by 6-9%. In just one year, New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) officials responded to 142 heat-related complaints filed by workers under a national emphasis program. But that program is due to expire in 2025, and with the proposed permanent federal rule in political limbo, New Mexico has the opportunity to take rapid action to put a commonsense policy in place to keep tens of thousands of workers safe from heat-related illnesses and injuries.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, New Mexico’s summers are now 3.7 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than they were 50 years ago, and the Union of Concerned Scientists warns that by mid-century the state could see between 44-51 days per year with a heat index above 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 25 days above 100 degrees.

New Mexico has the authority to follow the examples of Oregon, California and Maryland by establishing a workplace heat protection standard that covers both outdoor and indoor workers. In those states, employers are required to implement simple practices like providing shade, cool water and regular rest breaks to help workers avoid heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. Workers in those states receive regular training to recognize the symptoms of heat stress and what steps they should take to prevent these illnesses before they start. Under these rules, supervisors know the immediate steps they can take to help workers, and there is an established process for quickly summoning emergency health services.

Our school years are beginning earlier each academic year, and with that comes increasing temperatures in both school buses and our classrooms. While New Mexico has taken beginning steps like retrofitting and purchasing buses with air conditioning and some schools have prioritized HVAC modernization, our state could still benefit from a systemic approach to safety when it comes to extreme heat. It’s not just physical safety, either, as there is mounting scientific evidence that increasing temperatures impact student focus and ability to learn. Summer is coming, and with it, the likelihood of high heat days that put workers’ lives at risk.

Public input matters. Right now, New Mexicans have a chance to weigh in. The New Mexico Environment Department is accepting public comment on the proposed climate standards, including worker heat protections, through May 30, 2025. We urge everyone who cares about worker safety to visit safework4all.org and submit feedback.