Tempe is seeking the public’s help as it works on a heat safety ordinance designed to protect city employees and contracted workers who regularly perform outdoor work during extreme summer temperatures.

The ordinance responds to record-breaking temperatures in 2024 and “a concerning rise in heat-related illnesses across Maricopa County,” city officials stated in a release.

The ordinance would apply to Tempe city employees who work outdoors and contractors, subcontractors and their outdoor employees working on city-funded projects. It does not apply to all private employers in Tempe, officials said.

The proposed ordinance:

• Requires contractors and subcontractors under city contracts to implement written heat-safety plans for outdoor employees.
• Access to water and shade within 0.25 miles of work areas.
• Regular rest breaks during extreme heat - 10 minutes every two hours when a heat advisory is in effect.
• Requires annual training and emergency protocols for heat-related illness.
• Acclimatization and close monitoring protocols for new employees working in the heat.
• Signs - in both English and Spanish - outlining worker protections, first aid protocols and reporting mechanisms.
• Whistleblower protections.

 How to participate:

• Virtual Meeting: Noon May 6 via Zoom – Register at tempe.gov/CouncilCommittees.
• In-Person Meeting: 6 p.m. May at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave.
• Online Survey: Through Thursday, May 8, at tempe.gov/Forum

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.