Source: Sam Rigby, MSN 9/2/18


In the Lake Apopka region of Florida, a typical August day might yield a high temperature of 92F, a heat made all the worse by the stifling humidity. The weather is bad enough for office workers who spend most of the day next to an air conditioner. For farm workers, who spend their August picking blueberries outdoors, the heat can be oppressive, even fatal. Heat can induce dehydration, nausea, exhaustion, stroke, and death. Even among workers who endure little discomfort, heat can take a toll over time. Chronic dehydration, for example, can lead to kidney failure. Despite these risks, there is no federal standard protecting workers from extreme heat.

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