The top Democratic lawmakers on the state Legislature's labor committees on Friday called for a measure that would create a statewide temperature standard across multiple sectors of the economy. 

The measure, backed by state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner, would require businesses to adhere to standard heating and cooling for workers in the agriculture, construction, landscaping, delivery and food service sectors. 

Standard temperatures would be covered for workplaces indoors and outdoors, as well as in vehicles. 

Ramos and Joyner said the measure was meant to address an existing gap in labor protections for workers. Federal regulations, they argue, are too broad. 

"The entire country was horrified to see the condition that UPS drivers experienced in trucks without proper air conditioning, and unfortunately, they are not alone in that experience,” Ramos said. “We saw it in Buffalo during last December’s blizzard, and we saw it last summer as workers pushed through an unbearable summer. Workers are a front-line climate community, and our labor protections must reflect the danger they face on the job."

The lawmakers pointed to hundreds heat-related workplace injuries for workers in New York City alone last year, including 150 hospital admissions. 

“Research shows the harmful and dangerous impact of long-term exposure to excessive temperatures and employers are often dragging their feet in the face of this growing body of research. As a result, employees have too often been left out in the cold when they are feeling the heat,” Joyner said. “This legislation ensures that employees have access to basic resources that can save lives such as; hydration, warmth in the winter and access to shade when the temperature goes above 80 degrees in the summer."