On a day as hot as Monday, construction workers in Hartford relied on a cooler filled with ice, water and sports drinks to help get them through the heat.
“We take like 10 minute breaks, water, just to drink fluids," said Jacob Quiterio, "We have to reset."
But some construction union representatives say not every company offers that kind of relief for their employees.
“The vast majority of employers are good employers and they will give people that rest, but it’s the employers that look at the people as numbers and not human beings that are going home to the family,” said CT AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne. “Those are the ones who need this enforceable OSHA standard.”
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On Monday, state leaders gathered in Hartford to discuss the proposed Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act.
“This legislation is long overdue,” Hawthorne said. “Workers everyday go to work in extreme conditions.”
If passed, the legislation would require the Department of Labor to enforce a health or safety standard on prevention or exposure to excessive heat for qualified workers.
“Breaks with rest in the shade or climate-controlled areas, water for hydration, procedures for emergency responses, qualified personnel available,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
In a statement, the Associated General Contractors of America said in part that “overall, this proposed new rule provides a starting point,” but that the final rule should avoid “one-size-fits all approaches that will do more to hamstring firms than protect workers.”
“Our families are counting on us, and we want to be there for them,” said Laborers Local 230 Union Steward Tommy Walsh.
If passed, those in favor hope the legislation be enacted by the end of the summer.
