Heat is on for workers, but RFK Jr. sees no problem
By Mark Gongloff / Bloomberg Opinion
We’re on the verge of what will probably be one of the hottest Northern Hemisphere summers in human history. In early May, the water in the English Channel was already so hot that octopuses invaded it, inspiring Bloomberg News’ Joe Wertz to dub this “hot octopus summer,” and not in a fun, Megan Thee Stallion way.
Soaring temperatures, which are deadlier than any other natural disaster, will endanger the health and productivity of millions of Americans this summer. Workers at construction sites, farms and factories, along with delivery workers and many others in heat-exposed jobs, are especially at risk. So naturally, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is somehow in charge of managing our nation’s health, has reportedly fired all of the people who have been helping the federal government write heat protections for workers. This will likely make extreme heat even riskier and the economic impact even heavier.
Effective this week, all the heat experts at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lost their jobs on Kennedy’s order, according to Politico. Their research had informed a draft heat-safety rule proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration last year.
The rule will be subject to a public hearing beginning on June 16. Questions will come up there that NIOSH experts could help answer, Politico noted. They could also help OSHA fine-tune the rule and fight off the many, many industry lawsuits it’s sure to inspire. Now they’ll be unavailable, unless they’re willing to work for free.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-heat-is-on-for-workers-but-rfk-jr-sees-no-problem/