HR 209: General Assembly; Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act; urge passage

House Resolution 209

By: Representatives Schofield of the 63rd, McClain of the 109th, Scott of the 76th, Jones of the 60th, and Glaize of the 67th

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Georgia General Assembly to pass LC 46 0977, the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act, to ensure critical protections for workers facing extreme heat conditions; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, extreme heat poses severe health risks to workers, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other life-threatening heat-related illnesses, disproportionately affecting employees in high-exposure industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and warehousing; and

WHEREAS, Georgia is experiencing increasingly extreme heat conditions, with an average of 20 more dangerously hot days per year compared to historical averages—a number projected to rise due to climate change, increasing the urgency for legislative action; and

WHEREAS, studies show that workers in high-heat conditions are 50 percent more likely to suffer from workplace injuries, and heat-related deaths in the United States have increased by nearly 60 percent over the past two decades, underscoring the escalating dangers of unregulated heat exposure in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, Georgia has over 425,000 workers employed in high-risk industries vulnerable to extreme heat, many of whom are low-income and lack access to sufficient workplace protections, putting their livelihoods and well-being at risk; and

WHEREAS, federal regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA) do not currently provide sufficient mandates to address workplace heat exposure, leaving Georgia workers without adequate safeguards against extreme temperatures; and

WHEREAS, failure to pass LC 46 0977 would expose thousands of Georgia workers to preventable heat-related illnesses and fatalities, leading to increased medical costs, lost wages, decreased productivity, and strain on emergency medical services, all of which negatively impact Georgia's economy and workforce; and

WHEREAS, implementing a heat illness prevention program, as outlined in LC 46 0977, would provide necessary workplace protections, including access to water, shaded areas, mandatory rest breaks, risk assessments, employee training, and emergency response plans, ensuring the safety and well-being of Georgia's workforce.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge the Georgia General Assembly to swiftly pass LC 46 0977, the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act, to protect Georgia's workers from the dangers of extreme heat exposure and to establish Georgia as a national leader in worker safety and well-being.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, and all members of the Georgia General Assembly.