"The cruelty Olympics’: Texas workers condemn elimination of water breaks"

Eva Marroquin is an outdoor worker who cleans up construction sites in the Austin area, where temperatures have surpassed 100F (38C) every day for weeks. In the summertime, it’s common for Marroquin to feel blistering heat as early as 8.30 in the morning. She is required to wear stifling layers of protective clothing.

She has seen workers pass out from working in dangerous weather conditions, and she herself has experienced heat exhaustion at least three times during her career. “I’d get really red in the face and feel very lethargic, like I didn’t have any strength to move, with my heart palpitating really fast,” she said. Marroquin relies on regular water breaks to get some relief.

These breaks are obligatory under local law in Austin. But recently, amid a record-breaking heatwave, the Texas governor signed a bill that will rescind existing mandatory rest and water breaks for construction workers starting in September. Outdoor workers like Marroquin and others are angry, as well as fearful of the potential repercussions.

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People of color are especially vulnerable to extreme heat. More than 40% of all outdoor workers in the US are Black or Hispanic, despite making up roughly 32% of the population.

Regulations to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat only exist in six states: California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. There is no federal law that guarantees water breaks, rest or shade, but in 2021 the Biden Administration ordered Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) to produce heat safety standards. These standards have not yet been issued.

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