Arizona Governor Signs Worker Heat-Protection Order
- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed an executive order directing the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health to form a Workplace Heat Safety Task Force.
- Composed of industry leaders, worker representatives, and occupational safety and health experts, the task force will be responsible for drafting and recommending heat guidelines for employers before the end of the year.
- This follows the July 2023 launch of Arizona’s Heat Stress State Emphasis Program, created to reduce heat-related illnesses and injuries in the workplace through inspections, training, and compliance assistance.
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NY Rep Pushes Federal Law Reforming State Scaffold Law
- Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) has introduced the Infrastructure Expansion Act, a federal bill that would reform New York’s 139-year-old Scaffold Law by preempting it on federally funded construction projects.
- The proposal seeks to eliminate the state’s absolute liability standard in favor of a comparative negligence approach, aligning New York with every other U.S. state.
- New York law currently holds property owners and contractors 100% liable for elevation-related construction injuries, regardless of whether the injured worker was at fault.
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Massachusetts’ Sen. Markey Moves Bill on Public Worker Protection
- Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) has introduced the Public Service Worker Protection Act which would extend federal health and safety protections to public sector workers nationwide.
- The bill has broad Democratic support, according to an announcement.
- The legislation would amend the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 to extend worker health and safety protections to public sector workers who are currently excluded.
- Nearly half of states and territories do not extend comparable health and safety protections to public sector workers.
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