The afternoon temperature soared to 98 degrees as Danny Rodriguez slammed the door of his Postal Service van. Three years ago, on this same route through a leafy Dallas neighborhood, another mail carrier died from hyperthermia. Mr. Rodriguez thinks about the man often, especially during summer shifts.
“The job can drain you,” said Mr. Rodriguez, who has been a mail carrier for 13 years and wears a wide-brimmed hat to block the sun.
As scorching temperatures and high humidity blanket much of the country this summer, with cities notching record highs, outdoor workers face increasingly perilous conditions with limited rules to protect them.
Texas has even barred its cities and counties from passing local heat protections, arguing that mandates aren’t necessary. There are no specific mandatory federal rules to protect workers from extreme heat, and the Trump administration is working to cut back proposed Biden-era heat rules that would have mandated breaks and access to water. Republicans in Congress have gone further, proposing legislation that would prohibit the Department of Labor from adopting the Biden-era proposals.
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