I urge you to reject H.R. 6213 because it is bad for workers and bad for businesses. Studies done by the Workers Compensation Insurance Industry show that claims increase as temperatures rise above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is true for all types of injuries, not only heat related illnesses, injuries and fatalities. Higher claims lead to higher costs for employers and workers – yet all heat injuries, illnesses, and fatalities are preventable.

Right now OSHA recommends water, rest and shade to protect workers from extreme heat, but recommendations aren’t enough. Workers need an enforceable standard that guarantees water, shade, and rest along with measures like changing work schedules to cooler parts of the day and allowing new employees time to acclimate to higher temperatures. A federal heat standard would ensure that workers are safe and employers have the best information available to protect their workers from extreme heat.

H.R. 6213 bans OSHA from creating or enforcing a federal heat standard, in effect blocking OSHA from measures that would save workers’ lives and reduce Workers Compensation claims and premiums. For these reasons H.R. 6213 is bad policy and should be rejected.