Ordinance in City of Phoenix protects workers from extreme heat

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – The new ordinance at the City of Phoenix is being lauded by leaders of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) as a “critical first step” to protect workers for city contractors from the dangers of extreme heat. 

The ordinance was passed unanimously by the Phoenix City Council after a citywide campaign by members of SEIU, UNITE HERE Local 11 and other labor and community organizations and it will apply to outdoor workers for city contractors and its subcontractors who provide construction, engineering, airport and other services to the city, including at Sky Harbor Airport.  

In 2023, Phoenix experienced a record-breaking 31 straight days with temperatures over 110 degrees and the Maricopa County Health Department reported 340 heat-related deaths in the city in the year, among 645 fatalities countywide.

Three out of four heat-related deaths took place outdoors, however the county does not provide data about how many fatalities were work related. 

It is well documented, across the United States, that the dangers of extreme heat fall most severely on Black, Brown, and low-income workers, indicates a release, adding Latinx workers, for example, are three times more likely to die from heat stress than their peers.

Under the new ordinance, contractors and subcontractors will be required to provide easy access to rest, shade and potable water for workers in outdoor environments; access to air conditioning in vehicles with enclosed cabs; and training for outdoor workers on how to recognize and prevent heat injury and illness. Contractors are also required to create and keep on file a heat safety plan. 

With climate change likely to bring even hotter summers to Phoenix, advocates say broad protections are needed to cover all workers, not just those who are employed by city contractors and subcontractors, adds the release. 

“People who work outside and in hot indoor environments in Phoenix suffer unacceptably during our deadly summers, with too few protections,” said Katelyn Parady, a Phoenix-based worker health and safety expert with National COSH, who assisted local workers and unions in advocating for new protections from extreme heat. “This ordinance is a critical first step toward getting workers lifesaving protections and holding employers accountable for safety during heat season. It’s also a model for how local governments can leverage their contracts to protect the workers who keep their communities running from climate change dangers.”