As the hot summer months begin, Maryland workers will operate on new standards that protect them from extreme heat. The heat standards took effect in September of last year. Employers are now required to give workers an extra break when the heat index rises above 90 or 100 degrees. Sam Williamson, a staff attorney at the Public Justice Center, says it’s better to have standard protections than rely on the goodwill of employers in the state.

"We know that employers are not going to provide those protections on their own. Many employers will prioritize profit over their workers. I’ve spoken with workers who, working outside all day, they’re lucky if their employer gives them a small 8-ounce bottle of water that’s been sitting out in the sun."

The new heat regulations come after Maryland saw a dramatic spike in heat-related death in 2024. More than 27 people died and 12-hundred people went to the emergency room due to heat exposure, up from nine deaths in 2023.

The new regulations also allow for "acclimatization," meaning new and returning employees get up to two weeks to adjust to working outside in intense heat. Over 70 percent of heat-related deaths occur in a worker’s first week on the job. Williamson says enforcement of the new heat standards will be vital to its effectiveness.

  "I’m hoping that now, with these heat standards, employers will start to actually be following these better practices. Really, what I’m hoping is to see good enforcement by the Maryland Department of Labor. Because without good enforcement, unfortunately I don’t think we’ll see employers make a good switch."

Williamson says that if any worker is concerned that their employer is not following heat standards, they should file a complaint with the Maryland Department of Labor.