As California heads into a dangerous holiday heat wave that will blanket millions of residents in triple-digit temperatures, state and federal officials are vowing to do more to address the growing threat — and rising costs — of extreme heat.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will introduce a proposed nationwide rule to protect workers in indoor and outdoor spaces from high temperatures. If finalized, the rule would establish temperature-based standards for about 35 million workers in places like warehouses, kitchens, farms and construction sites.
The proposal, which has been in the works since 2021, would apply to workplaces where the heat index regularly exceeds 80 degrees, according to senior administration officials. It would follow similar measures by California, which became the first state in the country to establish permanent thermal protections for outdoor workers in 2006 and Heat standards approved for indoor workers Just last month.
Officials said the rules are needed because extreme heat is taking more lives and the country is facing more frequent and severe weather events caused by climate change. Last year, the United States suffered a record 28 disasters that exceeded $1 billion in losses and caused more than $90 billion in total damages.
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At the same time, the California Department of Insurance released a groundbreaking analysis this week revealing $7.7 billion in insurance losses tied to extreme heat events over the past decade. The report quantifies the insured and uninsured costs of seven recent extreme heat events in the state and highlights the need for adaptation strategies.
This phenomenon adds to a growing body of evidence about the effects of extreme heat, from rising heat-related illnesses and deaths to impacts on biodiversity, economic effects, agricultural losses and damage to infrastructure. Heat has contributed to more deaths over the past 30 years than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined, making it the deadliest of all U.S. weather hazards, according to the National Weather Service. Last year was the planet’s hottest year on record.
“Extreme heat is a silent and growing disaster that threatens our health, economy, and way of life in California,” reads a statement from Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “This report brings to light the staggering hidden costs of extreme heat events, underscoring the urgency of our efforts to create an innovative statewide heat wave early warning and rating system. We must prioritize resilience-building efforts and innovative insurance solutions to protect our state against the increasing impacts and financial risks of extreme heat.”
In fact, experts have been pushing for years for stricter monitoring of the effects of heat, and a 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation found that deaths from extreme heat are chronically recorded in the state. Following that investigation, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to create a heat wave classification system similar to those used for hurricanes. The system is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Newsom has also launched an extreme heat awareness campaign, urban greening programs and other efforts in recent years to help residents prepare for and adapt to worsening heat; however, some of those programs were cut amid this year's budget shortfall.
While the $7.7 billion cost associated with the heat events is considerable, the Department of Insurance estimated that the actual cost is likely higher. While some types of insurance cover costs related to extreme heat (such as medical coverage, workers’ compensation insurance and crop insurance), there are gaps that will require new mechanisms and investments, the agency said. The state is currently facing a separate insurance crisis related to worsening wildfires.
Other heat-related costs include lost labor productivity, which ranged from $7.7 million to $210 million per event, the report said. Infrastructure repair costs due to heat-related damage ranged from $3.8 million to $35 million per event, primarily affecting roads and railroads, while power outages during heat waves resulted in substantial economic impacts of up to $230 million.
One of the heat events covered in the report — a prolonged heat wave in September 2022 — pushed California’s power grid to the brink and prompted an emergency text message from the state’s power operators asking residents to conserve energy, narrowly avoiding a blackout.
That same heat wave was later determined to have killed 395 Californians, according to state health officials, who also reported that its worst effects were among Latinos and working-age people between 25 and 64.
The Department of Insurance report also highlighted the ways in which extreme heat disproportionately affects communities of color, low-income communities and vulnerable populations such as seniors and children.
Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve, said the report's admittedly conservative estimates were “nonetheless staggering.”
“A hot day isn’t just an annoyance — for hundreds of thousands of Californians, extreme heat is a matter of life or death,” Parfrey said, adding that the losses in worker productivity alone should be a wake-up call for industry and policymakers. “The lesson is this: Investing in cooling solutions today will save money and lives tomorrow.”
But strengthening workplace protections will also help save lives, White House officials said.
OSHA's proposed rule, which will be submitted to the federal register and available for public comment, would require workplaces to establish heat-related injury and illness prevention plans that are evaluated at least annually; provide workers with access to safe drinking water and cooling areas; and respond to heat-related illness symptoms and emergencies, among other measures.
Additional protections would be triggered at temperatures of 90 degrees or higher, including mandatory breaks and symptom monitoring.
States like California, which already have workplace heating regulations, would have to meet the minimum federal requirements but can go further, officials said. States like Florida and Texas, which have passed laws preventing cities or employers from setting heating rules, would also have to comply with the federal standard or face significant penalties for violations.
The proposed rule adds to other Biden Administration efforts to address worsening heat and climate hazards, including a new National Weather Service heat risk tool; cooling assistance programs for low-income households; and expanded investments in trees and green spaces.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency also announced Tuesday that it will make $1 billion in funding available for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to help communities reduce their risk from disasters and natural hazards, including extreme heat, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods.
The funding includes 656 projects across the country, including significant investments in disadvantaged communities, agency officials said.
But FEMA continues to face pressure from environmental groups and labor organizations urging it to expand its definition of “major disasters” to include extreme heat, which advocates say would unlock additional funding avenues during heat waves and help states and communities better prepare for rising temperatures.
This year, FEMA and other federal agencies have already responded to more than a dozen disasters, including devastating wildfires in New Mexico and historic flooding in Iowa and Minnesota, officials said.
They are currently monitoring Hurricane Beryl, which became the first Category 4 hurricane on record in June, as well as the record heat expected to hit much of the country this week.
But heat waves still pose unique dangers: The average length of the heat wave season is now 46 days longer than it was in the 1960s, according to a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In California, officials warned that the looming heat wave could also spark wildfires as high temperatures coincide with fireworks, barbecues and other Fourth of July-related activities. State officials are warning that power outages are possible in some Northern California counties, where temperatures could reach 110 degrees.
Parts of the Central Valley and Antelope Valley could also reach 110 degrees, while the Coachella Valley could hit 121 degrees and Death Valley 125 degrees.
Forecasters said the heat wave is expected to persist for days, with parts of the Golden State unlikely to see relief until at least early next week.
