Tempe is seeking public input on a proposed ordinance that would increase heat protections for the city’s outdoor workers, contractors and subcontractors.
Tempe’s proposal would require that water and shade be available within a quarter-mile of work areas. It would also implement 10-minute breaks every 2 hours during heat advisories.
As another summer approaches, Tempe is among the cities looking to strengthen protections for the government’s outdoor workers.
Randy Keating is a councilmember with Tempe.
“So Tempe is proposing a heat safety ordinance for city workers and people that contract with the city to ensure that they're afforded reasonable protections during the hotter and longer summers that we've been experiencing year after year," he said.
He says the ordinance would be stronger than what most municipalities require.
“The city does a lot of this on its own, just as a matter of policy. But not everyone falls under that umbrella, particularly, kind of, smaller subcontractors may not have those kinds of protections at their job site,” he said.
To weigh in on the proposal, residents can fill out a survey on the city’s website or register for a virtual meeting at noon on Tuesday, May 6. An in-person meeting is scheduled for that same day at the Tempe History Museum at 6 p.m.
