What ever happened to OSHA? This is a mandated Federal Program. Who is trying to make political points here. This is crazy. I worked in a factory set up and when the heat went to a certain temperature we were sent home for the rest of the day with pay. I was part of a Union at an aerospace Company in CT in my early working years. This is crazy that they are trying to establish work ethics this late in the game. It should be a no nonsense idea that workers should be protected by the employers. Safety always first including drinking water to stay hydrated. I worked a day labor company in Tampa and we made sure the personnel had water 20 years ago now that I am retired. The people I sent out to construction sites needed to have water its a no brainer. This is going to be the hottest summer on recorded too.
Umm, big boys know how to work outdoors. If it is to damn hot you take frequent breaks and avoid overworking. Also, getting hydrated the night before work is very important along with having water on hand. It is nice to freeze quart size gatorade style bottles of water overnight. Get a shirt tuck in to limit dehydration. Try to remember that as you are losing water to sweating and such that you are losing minerals, so do not over due it with pure water(add a bit of salt) Raisins are a great source of potassium but don't expect your employer to be responsible for these things. Employers tend to hire employees who are able to provide for their own nourishment. If you're working for a movie/television production company. a prison or the military, it is not unusual for the employers to provide the basic necessities but those are separate industries. outside of that, not so much.
There's not a single employer that bars employees from drinking water when they need it. We get required annual heat related illness training. We're taught the stages of heat illness. If an employer was refusing water to their emplyees they would have dead employees. They would be dropping dead everyday. Can't get the job done without employees. What the issue really is are a bunch of liberals that don't want to work and want 15 minute breaks on the hour. The people who do the work want to get the job done as soon as possible so they can get out of the heat. Multiple 15 minute breaks just extends the work day into the hotter parts of the afternoon. They'd rather work 7 to 3 and be done for the day
It's definitely needed statewide. My husband is electrician and he's outside hundred degree weather digging sometimes. He also brings about 2 gallons of water every single day.
