TAMPA, FL – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) is urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) to finalize federal workplace protections for heat-related injury and illness prevention after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law legislation to prohibit local governments from enacting heat exposure requirements for employers and contractors. Critically, the Governor signed this law following Florida’s hottest year on record in 2023 and amid continued summer heat waves that are pushing Florida communities and workers to the brink.

“The devastating health and economic consequences of the climate crisis continue to grow, and the Tampa Bay region is particularly at risk for extreme heat and worsening air quality on hot, humid days,” wrote Castor. “For years, heat has been the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. It is important to note that workers, including farmworkers, farmers, firefighters and construction workers, are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat.

Castor continued, “As temperatures continue to break records and workers suffer under increasingly hazardous conditions, I urge OSHA to move forward expeditiously to propose and finalize a rule to protect workers across the country, including in Florida.”

Read the full letter here.