California legislators say new laws must protect farmworkers from extreme heat

State lawmakers, responding to a report that the agency charged with ensuring worker safety in California has sharply cut back on enforcement of outdoor heat protection laws, said new legislation is needed to protect employees amid escalating periods of extreme heat. Ortega, whose committee has heard testimony from farmworkers accusing Cal/OSHA of not enforcing safety laws, said the agency has repeatedly offered the “same excuses” for failing to ramp up inspections as life-threatening heat waves have intensified across California in recent years. Cal/OSHA said it does not comment on legislation, but the agency said previously that it will launch a new agricultural unit that will operate in cities across California and “significantly expand enforcement.” State law requires employers to provide heat illness prevention training, which includes information on the signs and symptoms of heat illness and an employer’s legal obligations to provide water and break areas with shade as close as possible to workers. Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, whose district includes fields and orchards in the San Joaquin Valley, said he will push for legislation that requires Cal/OSHA to create a new heat safety certification program for agricultural workers.