DURHAM, N.C. — Eshawney Gaston is no stranger to working in excessive heat.

What You Need To Know

  • New heat safety rules could affect more than 36 million workers across the country if the proposals go into effect

  • The proposed regulations include mandatory breaks for workers and training about the symptoms of heat illnesses

  • There’s been an average of 32 heat-related workplace deaths each year from 1992 to 2019, and 43 fatalities in 2022, up from 36 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor

“I’ve had two warehouse jobs in particular where I dealt with those issues,” she said. “One of those was a laundry company where it’s normally going to be hot in a warehouse but the heat that I’ve dealt with was extreme.”

And she says it was so extreme at one job she got in trouble because of it.

“I felt like I was going to pass out. I leaned over on the station, and I needed to take a break," Gaston said. "But I guess because I was taking too many breaks and it was too hot, they ended up letting me go.”

Tens of millions of workers have to combat extreme heat. This week, the Biden administration proposed new regulations to protect those workers.

Among the proposals, employers would have to identify heat threats, come up with emergency responses and provide training to all staff about the symptoms of heat illnesses. Rest breaks and providing shade for those workers who are outdoors would also be required.

Gaston, who’s expecting a child in a few months, wants those proposals to become reality.

“If we can get breaks, if we can get water, if we can be able to have the necessities we need, it’ll make a lot of people’s jobs easier,” she said.