Airing April 6-8, 2026
This series was produced as a project for USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication and Center for Health Journalism 2025 Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship.
Heat exposure can cause serious injuries or even death. Arizona's farmworkers, construction workers, day laborers and other outdoor workers face some of the hottest temperatures in the country.
But the state has never had regulations to require specific protections from heat in workplaces. Labor rights groups want to see that change. But actions from the state have so far fallen short of what workers have called for.
Arizona's outdoor workers endure extreme temperatures. But Arizona does not have any specific state regulations requiring their employers to provide them with water, shade or breaks from the heat.
As the Industrial Commission of Arizona considers workplace heat safety recommendations, some employers say they would welcome new heat rules, but others worry about overregulation.
Arizona labor groups are calling for state regulations to require specific protections from heat in workplaces. But actions from the state have so far fallen short of what workers have called for.
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Heat kills more people annually than any other type of weather-related event and outdoor workers face higher risks for heat illness. What makes working in the heat so dangerous? -
Arizona has never had state regulations specifically to protect workers from heat. And as climate change drives more intense heat waves, heat-related worker deaths in Arizona appear to be increasing at a faster rate.
Hear Katherine Davis-Young talk about the series on The Show with host Lauren Gilger
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