health and safety in the workplace assignment

Example on Health and safety at work Fetac Level 5 Assignment

Qqi Level is a short-term course certified by NFQ, Ireland. The course includes care support, skills, health and management at work, childcare, old age care, behavior management, and many more. Talking about Health and safety at work Qqi Level 5, the course helps the students to understand the consequence of maintaining health and safety at the workplace. The students come to know about the risks and dangers faced by the employee and employers at the worksite. The assignments assigned encourage the students to research preventive measures and ways to support health and safety at work.

Health and safety at work Qqi Level 5 help the students to analyze the responsibilities of the employee and employers. The students can find out what is the role of communication in promoting health and safety in the workplace. It becomes vital for the students to inspect the critical issues related to emergency procedures, infection control, symptoms, conditions promoting the development of microorganisms, and many more. Moreover, exploring the associated risks of health and safety issues related to dust and noise becomes the main concern for students.

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What if students do not prepare for health and safety at work qqi level 5 assignments.

Health and safety at the workplace ensure that the workplace is safe for the perseverance of the better health management of employees as well as employers. The assignments assigned to workplace health and safety help the students to study the various hazards occurring in the workplace. However, if the students do not work on Health and safety at work Qqi Level 5 assignments then they can face serious consequences:

• Qqi Level 5 assignments demand realistic awareness along with theoretical knowledge. The students not working on workplace health and safety assignments will lack in gaining practical experience.
• The students will not be able to acknowledge the issues arising in the workplace.
• Not preparing assignments makes the students incapable to recognize the underlying factors that help in enhancing the importance of health and safety.

How can students prepare for Health and safety at work Qqi Level 5 assignments?

Maintaining safety at the workplace is vital not only to enhance business productivity but also to promote the health of the employees. The students can focus on the given below steps to prepare a knowledgeable and informative Qqi Level 5 assignment on health and safety at work:

• The students should research ways to promote a safe work environment that is crucial for the employee and employer’s safety.
• Searching for the safety laws issued by the workplace is beneficial to include facts and evidence.
• Instead of dealing with all the safety-related issues at the same time, it’s beneficial to make a rough list. After that, the students can prepare for safety and health-promoting measures at the workplace.

Get Paid For Your Health And Safety At Work Semester End Exam

Sample on health and safety at work qqi level 5 assignment.

Title : What health and safety hazards are commonly found in workplaces? Dust, fumes, and noise are the dangers commonly faced by the employees and employers at the worksite. Several workers get exposed to noise hazards every year that leads to hearing loss. Moreover, exposure to noise hazards at the workplace can cause everlasting hearing loss and cannot be prevented by any hearing aid. Additionally, noise hazards can create psychological and physical stress, lessens productivity, and can affect concentration skills. Dust and fumes can lead to various infections in the workplace. However, these infections are controllable by focusing on certain preventive measures at the worksite.

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Research Policy Handbook

Health and Safety: Principles, Responsibilities and Practices

Policy authority.

University Committee on Health and Safety

Operations Council

University Cabinet

Policy Contact

Now in Policy Details

This manual provides information about policies, procedures, and guidelines related to health and safety at Stanford. Topics covered include responsibilities, services provided by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), a variety of topics related to workplace safety (e.g. asbestos, ergonomics), the management of hazardous materials, and how to prevent and handle emergencies.

1. Principles

Safety is a core value at Stanford and the University is committed to continued advancement of an institutional safety culture with strong programs of personal safety, accident and injury prevention, wellness promotion, and compliance with applicable environmental and health and safety laws and regulations.

Stanford University makes all reasonable efforts to:

• Promote occupational and personal safety, health and wellness;
• Protect the health and safety of Stanford University faculty, staff and students;
• Provide information to faculty, staff, and students about health and safety hazards;
• Identify and correct health and safety hazards and encourage faculty, staff, and students to report​ potential hazards;
• Conduct activities in a manner protective of the environment, and inform the Stanford community regarding environmental impacts associated with institutional operations; and
• Maintain a risk-based emergency management program to reduce the impact of emergency events to the Stanford community.

2. Responsibilities

Adherence to good health and safety practices and compliance with applicable health and safety regulations are a responsibility of all faculty, staff, and students. Line responsibility for good health and safety practice begins with the supervisor in the workplace, laboratory or classroom and proceeds upward through the levels of management. For detailed guidance on individual safety responsibilities under Cal/OSHA, refer to the University’s  Illness and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP) .

In academic areas, supervisors include faculty/principal investigators, laboratory directors, class instructors, or others having direct supervisory and/or oversight authority. Academic levels of management are the department chairperson or Independent Lab director, dean, the Dean of Research, and the Provost. Administrative levels of management include managers, directors, and vice presidents.  Final responsibility for health and safety policy and programs rests with the President of the University.

The Associate Vice Provost for EH&S and the University Committee on Health and Safety are responsible for recommending University-wide health and safety policies to the President.

The Associate Vice Provost for EH&S is responsible for ensuring overall institutional compliance with applicable policies, statutes, and regulations; monitoring the effectiveness of the safety programs; and providing central health and safety services and support to all areas of the University.

A. Supervisory Responsibilities

University supervisors, including faculty supervisors and Principal Investigators (PIs), are responsible for protecting the health and safety of employees, students and visitors working under their direction or supervision. This responsibility entails:

• Being current with and implementing Stanford University health and safety policies, practices and programs;
• Ensuring that workplaces, including laboratories, and equipment are safe and well maintained;
• Ensuring that workplaces or laboratories are in compliance with Stanford policies, programs and practices, and
• Ensuring that employees, students and visitors under their supervision or within their work areas have been provided with appropriate safety training and information, and adhere to established safety practices and requirements.

B. Managerial Responsibilities

University managers, academic and administrative, are responsible for ensuring that:

• Individuals under their management have the authority to implement appropriate health and safety policies, practices and programs;
• Areas under their management have adequate resources for health and safety programs, practices, and equipment; and 
• Areas under their management are in compliance with Stanford University health and safety policies, practices and programs.

C. Environmental Health and Safety Responsibilities

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is responsible for:

• Reviewing legislation, recommending policies, and monitoring compliance with environmental and health and safety statutes and regulations and University health and safety policies and programs;
• Developing institutional safety and compliance programs and assisting schools, departments, faculty, and managers with implementation
• Providing guidance and technical assistance to supervisors and managers in the schools, departments, and other work units in identifying, evaluating, and correcting health and safety hazards;
• Developing programs for the safe use of hazardous radiological, biological, and chemical substances and lasers;
• Providing training materials, assistance, and programs in safe work practices;
• Providing guidance on effective emergency management and business continuity programs, and providing emergency response services for incidents involving hazardous materials;
• Providing fire prevention, inspection, engineering and systems maintenance services; and
• Hazardous waste management and disposal services.

While EH&S is responsible for developing and recommending relevant health and safety policies, institutional policy approval rests with other University authorities,(e.g., President, Provost, Vice Provost and Dean of Research, Faculty Senate, University Cabinet, University Committee on Health and Safety, Committee on Research, Administrative Panels for Research Oversight, etc.) depending on the content of the proposed policies.

D. Faculty, Staff, and Student Responsibilities

Faculty, staff and students are responsible for:

• Keeping themselves informed of conditions affecting their health and safety;
• Participating in safety training programs as required by Stanford policy and their supervisors and instructors; 
• Adhering to health and safety practices in their workplace, classroom, laboratory and student campus residences; Advising of or reporting to supervisors, instructors or EH&S potentially unsafe practices or serious hazards in the workplace, classroom or laboratory.

E. Safety Performance

Each individual at Stanford is expected to perform all work safely. Managers and supervisors shall establish and maintain a system of positive reinforcement and escalated discipline to support good health and safety practices. Safety performance shall be a part of every individual’s role and responsibility as well as performance expectation and evaluation.

3. Providing a Safe Workplace

Stanford's program for providing a safe workplace for faculty, staff and students includes: facility design; hazard identification, workplace inspection and corrective action; shutdown of dangerous activities; medical surveillance: and emergency preparedness. In addition to this general institutional health and safety policy, additional hazard specific policies and requirements may apply to different work and learning environments at Stanford and will be found in the  Research Policy Handbook  and at the EH&S Website.

A. Facility Design

Facilities will be designed in a manner consistent with health and safety regulations and standards of good design. Those University departments charged with primary responsibility for the design, construction, and/or renovation of facilities, together with EH&S shall ensure that there is appropriate health and safety review of facility concepts, designs, and plans.

In case of disagreement between EH&S and the cognizant facilities department, the conflict shall be resolved by the Vice Provost and Dean of Research in consultation with the cognizant vice president or dean and the Provost (or designate). The determination of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research may be stayed by the Associate Vice Provost for EH&S pending a prompt appeal to the President.

B. Hazard Identification and Correction

Stanford University encourages employees and students to report health and safety hazards to their supervisors, managers, or EH&S. Employees and students shall not be discriminated against in any manner for bona fide reporting of health and safety hazards to Stanford or to appropriate governmental agencies. Supervisors shall inform students and employees of this policy and encourage reporting of workplace hazards.

Supervisors, both faculty and staff, shall assure that regular, periodic inspections of workplaces are conducted to identify and evaluate workplace hazards and unsafe work practices.

• The frequency of inspections should be proportional to the magnitude of risk posed in the particular workplace.
• Means of correcting discovered hazards and/or protecting individuals from the hazards shall be determined and implemented appropriately.
• Unsafe conditions which cannot be corrected by the supervisor or manager must be reported to the next higher level of management. Any individual, supervisor or manager who becomes aware of a serious concealed danger to the health or safety of individuals shall report this danger promptly to the Department of EH&S and to the faculty, staff and students who may be affected.

C. Shutdown of Dangerous Activities

The Associate Vice Provost for EH&S has the authority to curtail or shut down any University activity considered to constitute a clear and imminent danger to health or safety. In the event of such curtailment or shutdown, the cognizant dean, director or vice president and the Provost (or designate) shall be immediately notified.

In cases of dispute, an order to curtail or shutdown will remain in effect until the Provost or the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (or their respective designates) determine in writing that the danger has passed or been mitigated or that the order should be rescinded for other reasons.

Should the Associate Vice Provost for EH&S disagree with a determination to restore a curtailed or shutdown activity, the Associate Vice Provost for EH&S may promptly appeal the matter to the President. In the event of an appeal, the order to curtail or shutdown shall be in effect until the President determines otherwise.

D. Providing Medical Surveillance

Stanford University shall evaluate and monitor, through a program of medical surveillance, the health of Stanford University faculty, staff and students who are exposed to certain hazardous materials and situations as defined by law or University policy. Each supervisor is responsible for ensuring that employees and students under their supervision participate in the medical surveillance program as required by University policy. EH&S will monitor medical surveillance program participation. Each University department/school shall administer the program for faculty, staff and students covered by University policy.

E. Emergency Response and Preparedness

EH&S coordinates overall emergency response planning for the institution and provides guidelines for departmental emergency response plans. Every department shall have an individual emergency response plan and shall develop business continuity and contingency plans and implement appropriate mitigation programs to reduce the impact of emergency events.

Schools and departments shall maintain local departmental emergency operations centers and communications capabilities according to guidelines in the campus emergency plan. Multiple departments located within individual buildings will jointly develop comprehensive building-based life safety response plans.

Emergency plans shall include evacuation and assembly procedures, posted evacuation maps, reporting and communication practices, training, and drills.

4. Safety Communication and Training

Safety and compliance required training shall be communicated in a manner readily understandable to faculty, staff and students, in accordance with the communication policy outlined below.

A. Systems of Communication

Managers and supervisors, both faculty and staff, shall establish, implement and maintain a system for communicating with employees and students about health and safety matters. Information should be presented in a manner readily understood by the affected employees and students. Due attention must be paid to levels of literacy and language barriers. Verbal communications should be supplemented with written materials or postings if appropriate. Whenever appropriate, statutes and policies affecting employees and students shall be available in the workplaces.

B. Communication About Hazards

Faculty, staff, and students who may come in contact with hazardous substances or practices either in the workplace or in laboratories shall be provided information concerning the particular hazards which may be posed, and the methods by which they may deal with such hazards in a safe and healthful manner. In areas where hazardous chemicals or physical agents are used, handled, or stored, communication about these hazards shall conform to the  Research Policy Handbook EH&S Requirements  for laboratory facilities and the  Hazard Communication Program  for all other campus workplaces.

C. Training

Supervisors, including faculty, shall be experienced, trained or knowledgeable in the safety and health hazards to which employees and students under their immediate direction and control may be exposed, and shall be knowledgeable of current practices and safety requirements in their field.

Faculty, staff and students shall have or be provided the knowledge to protect themselves from hazards in their working and learning environment. Supervisors, both faculty and staff, shall ensure that employees and students have received appropriate training and information regarding:

• General health and safety practices of the workplace or laboratory, including emergency procedures;
• Job-specific health and safety practices and hazards;
• Recognition and assessment of health and safety risks; and,
• How to minimize risks through sound safety practices and use of protective equipment; and,
• Awareness of appropriate practices to protect the environment.

Training shall occur when:

• An employee is hired or student is new to the laboratory;
• An employee or student is given a new assignment for which training has not previously been received; and
• New hazards are introduced by new substances, processes or equipment.

Faculty, staff and students should, periodically, be retrained or demonstrate an understanding of current standard safety practices and requirements for their areas.

5. Documentation and Recordkeeping

Documentation and records as required by regulation shall be kept to demonstrate compliance with applicable statutes, regulations and policies. Requirements and procedures for such recordkeeping can be found in the  Research Policy Handbook  and at the EH&S website.

Current Version: 10.01.12

Original Version: 04.01.91

HLTWHS001 Participate in Workplace Health and Safety Assignment

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Work-related health and safety issues must be paid for by employers, not the public

DANCAP Private Equity Chair in Human Organization, Western University

Lecturer in Management, Employment and Organisation, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Cardiff University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

Western University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR.

Western University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA.

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Workplace health should be a priority for everyone. For employees, maintaining health and well-being at work is essential because we spend so much of our lives working . For employers, worker health is an important determinant of productivity .

According to the Canadian Human Resources Professionals Association, the cost to Canadian businesses caused by absenteeism (absence from work due to sickness) and presenteeism (attending work despite being ill) is about $16.6 billion annually .

Workplace health initiatives can play an important role in promoting healthy employee lifestyles. These initiatives can reduce absenteeism and health-care costs by more than 25 per cent . If an organization benefits from having a healthy workforce, then investing in the health of workers makes economic sense.

However, not all organizations follow this approach. Some large corporations have been criticized for their health practices with Amazon having been accused of replacing burned-out employees with new ones to ensure a continuous supply of healthy employees.

Amazon’s unhealthy record

Over the years, media outlets and organizations dedicated to workers’ rights have documented the high injury rates of employees at Amazon facilities that have been nearly double that of similar workplaces .

A 2019 report by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health revealed that 13 people died while working for Amazon in the United States between 2013 and 2019.

In the past, Amazon has appeared unconcerned about labour attrition and the extremely high labour turnover of 150 per cent — nearly double the average of the retail and logistics industries.

One reason for the high turnover is the desire to avoid creating an “entrenched workforce” — people who have been working at a workplace for a significant amount of time Low skilled jobs were to be short-term in order to maintain productivity levels and avoid increasing wages.

Increasing worker well-being

Even Amazon has come to understand the value of a healthy workforce, with former CEO Jeff Bezos acknowledging the need for Amazon to offer employees a better value proposition and to become the “ Earth’s best employer .”

In 2021, Amazon launched its WorkingWell initiative “ dedicated to global workplace health and safety ” and designed to halve the number of accidents at its warehouses.

These efforts have not been without their flaws. Its most famous attempt at increasing worker well-being was the introduction of its AmaZen booths. These “coffin-sized” compartments were touted as spaces where employees could watch short videos “featuring easy-to-follow well-being activities, including guided meditations, positive affirmations, calming scenes with sounds.”

However, the initiative was met with cynicism in light of reports of Amazon employees having to urinate in plastic bottles due to being unable to take regular bathroom breaks . The video promoting the idea was taken down fairly quickly.

In March 2023, Amazon announced that its accident rates had decreased and were lower than the industry average for employers of the same size. Earlier this year the organization stated that it was investing US$750 million in worker safety.

The cost of health care

The broader societal implications of neglecting workplace health cannot be overlooked. Work is a key determinant of both our physical health and our mental health .

While many of us are not subject to extreme working conditions, there is good reason for us all to be concerned: the negative impact of work on the health of others incurs a cost both to the individual and society.

In Canada, 70 per cent of health-care costs are funded by public tax revenues from things like personal taxes, corporate taxes and payroll levies . In 2019, the tax burden of public health care was $172 billion — a figure that likely has risen dramatically as a consequence of the pandemic.

Read more: Why having a conversation about mental health in the workplace might not be so simple

Of course, it’s not possible to assess how much of this cost can be attributable to the impact of work on physical and mental health. Moreover, while individual taxpayers contribute to public health-care spending , organizations such as Amazon do as well.

Amazon disclosed its Canadian tax contribution of $431 million for the first time in 2023. However, questions have been raised about the way the organization has tried to “ shield its profits ” from Canadian tax liabilities through “a complex web of subsidiaries” in order to limit taxable profits.

Investing in employee health matters. If organizations fail to do so and opt instead to value productivity over the health of workers, the economic cost is borne by the taxpayer. In addition, the company sidesteps what many would see as a key responsibility towards its employees: making sure work is not unhealthy or unsafe.

• Health and safety
• Workplace safety
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Senior Research Fellow - Women's Health Services

‘New Territory’ for Americans: Deadly Heat in the Workplace

Deaths are rising sharply, and the Biden administration is trying to respond. Its plan faces big hurdles.

Telitha Solis, an airplane cabin cleaner, recalls sweating, shaking and feeling nauseated at work. “Any kind of air cooling would make a big difference,” she said. Credit... Mark Felix for The New York Times

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• Share full article

By Coral Davenport and Noah Weiland

Coral Davenport has reported on climate policy since the George W. Bush administration. Noah Weiland has covered health care policy since the first days of the Covid pandemic.

• Published May 25, 2024 Updated May 28, 2024

For more than two years, a group of health experts, economists and lawyers in the U.S. government has worked to address a growing public health crisis: people dying on the job from extreme heat.

In the coming months, this team of roughly 30 people at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to propose a new rule that would require employers to protect an estimated 50 million people exposed to high temperatures while they work. They include farm laborers and construction workers , but also people who sort packages in warehouses, clean airplane cabins and cook in commercial kitchens.

The measure would be the first major federal government regulation to protect Americans from heat on the job. And it is expected to meet stiff resistance from some business and industry groups, which oppose regulations that would, in some cases, require more breaks and access to water, shade and air-conditioning.

But even if the rule takes effect, experts say, the government’s emergency response system is poorly suited to meet the urgency of the moment.

Last year was the hottest in recorded history, and researchers are expecting another record-breaking summer, with temperatures already rising sharply across the Sun Belt. The heat index in Miami reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit last weekend, shattering daily records by 11 degrees.

The surge in deaths from heat is now the greatest threat to human health posed by climate change, said Dr. John M. Balbus, the deputy assistant secretary for climate change and health equity in the Health and Human Services Department.

“The threat to people from extreme heat is reaching a point where we have to rethink how, at all levels of government, we are preparing and putting in place a response that matches the severity of the problem,” Dr. Balbus said in an interview. “This is new territory.”

An estimated 2,300 people in the United States died from heat-related illness in 2023 , triple the annual average between 2004 and 2018. Researchers say all those figures are probably undercounts , in part because of how causes of death are reported on death certificates.

Emergency room visits for heat illness shot up around the country last summer compared with the previous five years, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Heat kills more people each year than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined , according to the National Weather Service.

President Biden has tried to respond to the threat , notably with a call for worker protections in 2021. His administration tapped Dr. Balbus to be the first senior official to address the health impacts of climate change.

“Even those who deny that we’re in the midst of a climate crisis can’t deny the impact that extreme heat is having on Americans,” Mr. Biden said in July, adding that “it hits our most vulnerable the hardest: seniors, people experiencing homelessness who have nowhere to turn, disadvantaged communities that are least able to recover from climate disasters.”

But Mr. Biden’s efforts to respond to the extreme heat linked to climate change will almost certainly be erased if former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House, Republican strategists said in interviews. Initiatives like the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity could be wiped away. And the proposed OSHA heat rule would very likely be shelved and ignored.

“So far this rulemaking seems bound up in policy concerns about climate change and structural racism,” said Jonathan Berry, who served as a senior Labor Department official under Mr. Trump. “I don’t see a second Trump administration supporting rules on those bases.”

You could ‘cook an egg up here’

The health effects of extreme heat can be devastating even to the healthy and the young. High temperatures can damage organs, depriving the heart and kidneys of oxygen and blood, and overwhelm the body’s ability to cool down.

Dr. Jerry Snow Jr., a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Banner-University Medical Center in Phoenix, saw patients last summer with confusion, unresponsiveness and body temperatures above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Blood tests would reveal kidney or brain damage and muscle that had broken down. People who collapsed on hot concrete or asphalt arrived with burns, he said.

Juan Villalpando, 43, a roofer in Gary, Ind., battled 94-degree temperatures this week. “You can physically cook an egg up here,” said Mr. Villalpando, who has experienced episodes of heat illness, with fatigue, cold sweats, chills and disorientation. “When that happens to guys, they can fall off and die.” (As the heat has broken records in Indiana, Mr. Villalpando’s employer has provided more water breaks and shade.)

Telitha Solis, 57, an airplane cabin cleaner at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, recalls sweating, shaking and feeling nauseated while working without air-conditioning. “Any kind of air cooling would make a big difference,” she said.

The White House has pushed officials at the Labor Department, which oversees OSHA, to publish a draft heat rule this summer. But even if that happens, it is unlikely to be finalized this year and faces broad opposition from industry groups that say new regulations would be unreasonably complicated and expensive.

Marc Freedman, a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business lobbying group, wrote that such a rule would present huge challenges for employers and that “it is extraordinarily difficult for them to determine when heat presents a hazard because each employee experiences heat differently.” Mr. Freedman said the unpredictable nature of heat creates “a substantial barrier to efforts to determine when employees require protection.”

The rule, which would set clearer standards for employers, would most likely include two heat index thresholds, one at 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the other at 90 degrees, for worker protections in both outdoor and indoor settings, according to an outline that OSHA officials presented in late April . The heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels outside , factoring in humidity and other factors along with the temperature.

At the first, lower threshold, employers would be required to offer drinking water and break areas and to allow workers to start with lighter workloads. The higher threshold would require breaks and monitoring for signs of heat illness.

Since April 2022, OSHA, which has nearly 2,000 inspectors, has conducted about 5,000 inspections related to heat exposure. That resulted in 54 citations to employers for heat-related violations of the agency’s general duty clause , which requires companies to maintain workplaces free of hazards, said Mandy McClure, an agency spokeswoman. Out of those 54 citations, a dozen were issued after heat-related hospitalizations and 25 after heat-related deaths, she said.

Representative Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat who went on a thirst strike in July to pressure OSHA to expedite the heat rule, said that “it would take OSHA nearly 150 years to inspect every workplace in the country, because they’re constantly underfunded.”

About half a dozen states have implemented their own protections for outdoor workers. But some of those protections have faced backlash from conservatives .

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, both Republicans, signed legislation to prevent local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers.

According to data compiled by the Health and Human Services Department, 445 people died of heat exposure in Texas last year, and 77 died in Florida.

The Texas measure was designed to prevent a patchwork of local laws that conflict with or exceed state laws in a number of areas, including workplace safety. Mr. Abbott has said the goal was to “remove the barriers of government to encourage competition, and empower consumers to choose,” and that the measure “increases economic liberty while still ensuring customer safety.”

The Florida law was enacted after Miami-Dade County sought to enact a worker protection rule over the objections of the business community. “I think they were pursuing something that was going to cause a lot of problems down there,” Mr. DeSantis said.

An invisible but deadly crisis

In October 2022, after a record-breaking, triple-digit heat dome formed over California , Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare a major disaster, which would have unlocked federal assistance.

The agency denied the request, responding that “precedent is to evaluate discrete events and impacts, not seasonal or general atmospheric conditions.” The 1988 Stafford Act, which authorizes the federal government to declare a disaster or emergency, does not include extreme heat in its list of 16 causes. No president has declared an emergency in response to heat.

Local officials and health providers say FEMA’s requirements for activating an emergency response typically involve things like property damage from a disaster. A heat crisis that stresses human health can be harder to measure.

A heat crisis “is not a big visual episode,” said Jane Gilbert, the chief heat officer of Miami-Dade County.

The most perilous heat-related health crisis could come if heat takes down an electric grid. Extreme heat can send demand for electricity soaring, straining transmission, and can damage equipment, hobbling production. The result is a steamy community, in the dark, without air-conditioning, refrigeration or relief. “That would be an overwhelming situation where I think you would probably have to see a federal response,” Dr. Balbus said.

Blackout events that leave more than 50,000 people without power for at least an hour have increased more than 60 percent in the United States between 2015 and 2021 as climate change has intensified heat waves, according to research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology .

In Atlanta, Detroit and Phoenix, a multiday blackout event during a heat wave would more than double the estimated rate of heat-related deaths, a 2023 study found .

“In Atlanta, we have an undersized network of cooling centers, mostly high school gymnasiums,” said Brian Stone Jr., a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and an author of the study. “And not a single cooling center has backup generators.”

Kate Brown, a former Oregon governor, recalled that Portland had used air-conditioned city buses as cooling sites during heat waves.

“Emergency management was designed to deal with huge disasters that cause great destruction to public infrastructure,” she said. “This is people dying in their homes because of the heat.”

Coral Davenport covers energy and environment policy, with a focus on climate change, for The Times. More about Coral Davenport

Noah Weiland writes about health care for The Times. More about Noah Weiland

Our Coverage of Climate and the Environment

News and Analysis

Heat and drought are taking a toll on the tiny soil creatures  that help to lock away planet-warming carbon, according to a new analysis.

A group of health experts, economists and U.S. government lawyers are working to address a growing crisis: people dying on the job from extreme heat. They face big hurdles .

After halting a test of controversial technology to fight global warming , the city of Alameda, Calif., said it had found no “measurable health risk” from the giant salty-mist-spraying fans.

Adopting Orphaned Oil Wells:  Students, nonprofit groups and others are fund-raising to cap highly polluting oil and gas wells  abandoned by industry.

Struggling N.Y.C. Neighborhoods:  New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for five communities in New York .

Biden Environmental Rules:  The Biden administration has rushed to finalize 10 major environmental regulations  to meet its self-imposed spring deadline.

F.A.Q.:  Have questions about climate change? We’ve got answers .

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Adrian Diaz out as Seattle's top cop, Sue Rahr named interim chief

by Danny Schmidt, KOMO News

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has removed police Chief Adrian Diaz from his post and replaced him with former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, noting allegations against Diaz played a role in the move.

A month ago, Harrell said he was evaluating everyone within the SPD, including the chief, amid a string of claims alleging sexual harassment and sexual and racial discrimination from department leaders. Diaz was accused by multiple employees in lawsuits and tort claims. He denied the allegations.

On Wednesday, Harrell said Diaz would step aside and work on “special projects" after the two came to the "mutual decision." Rahr will serve as interim chief beginning Thursday morning, Harrell said.

"His integrity, in my mind, is beyond reproach," Harrell said of Diaz during a press conference Wednesday . "He's a friend, and I want to thank him for his service. He's a human being, and a good human being at that.

ALSO SEE | Elected officials, city leaders and organizations react to Diaz's departure as SPD chief

"I believe in Chief Diaz," Harrell continued. "I believe he's extremely talented as well. He inherited a culture where a lot of the allegations predate him. We believe this is the right thing to do."

Diaz was emotional speaking to the media Wednesday.

I'm proud of the work we've done together, but recognize now is the right time to step away for the best interests of the city and its people,” said Diaz, who added that he's had medical issues he will now address. “I look forward to continuing to serve our communities and neighbors and supporting the department as we move forward.

Rahr told Harrell she does not want the job permanently.

"She is a proven national expert in this space," Harrell said of Rahr, who ran the Washington police academy for most of the 2010s. "We are confident that she will look at the personnel issues and the allegations and make decisions there."

Rahr said she has "big shoes to fill" Wednesday, speaking after Diaz during the press conference.

"I want lots of people," Rahr Wednesday about recruiting, adding that she hopes to improve the SPD's flexible employee schedules. "We need lots of diversity. We need diversity of experience. The Seattle Police Department — if I can do it — is going to be the top recruiter for female recruits. This is going to be the place people want to come to work. I’m confident of that."

Former Seattle police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, who stepped down at the end of 2017, will help conduct a national search alongside Rahr, Harrell said. The search will begin next week, Harrell added.

"There was not one straw that broke the camel’s back," Harrell said of the decision to shake up the police department. "Culture change is very hard. I'm intentionally looking outside of the department. I'm very proud of our Seattle Police Department. They make me proud as a mayor.

"This is how you get better. I'm very confident. I feel pretty excited about the future for us."

Rahr said recruiting and "listening" are her top immediate priorities.

The SPD continues to struggle with staffing, down more than 345 officers at last count, according to Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson, despite the city offering major signing bonuses and a massive back-timed pay increase. Last week, the City Council approved legislation to streamline hiring.

"Recruiting is a critical need, and that’s something I think I can do relatively quickly and can have a quick impact," Rahr said. " The contract has been resolved, so I want to ride that wave of momentum. I need to listen and learn because I don’t have all the information I need to make decisions yet. I need to talk to the people who live and work in the community.

"The Seattle Police Department cannot drive the crime rate down. We need to work with the community."

A "30 By 30 Report" for the SPD in September detailed female employees' allegations of sexual harassment and descriptions of a "masculine police culture" filled with double standards and a lack promotion opportunities for women, especially mothers, in the department.

The SPD said its goal is to increase the number of women in law enforcement to 30% by 2030.

Rahr was asked Wednesday if she has concerns about the culture within the SPD.

I’ll be honest with you, I have concerns about the culture of all police departments," she said. "I think we are all trying to do better. I think it’s a natural thing that happens when you have a profession that is dominated by one gender for half a century, three quarters of a century. And making those transitions are really hard. I don’t think Seattle Police Department is worse or better than others, I think that we have work to do in every department.

One of the reasons I was very anxious to jump in is I think the Seattle Police Department is open to doing something meaningful and implementing a systemic change. Because we can keep playing whack-a-mole every time there’s an allegation here or there, but until we change the system, we’re not going to have meaningful change. And that was one of the things that drew me to this opportunity, to actually do something that’s going to matter.

Turmoil within the SPD

Last month, four female employees stepped forward to accuse Diaz and his top lieutenant, John O’Neill, of a pattern of harassment, discrimination and a hostile work environment. They filed a $5 million claim against the city.

In late April, Harrell said he hired an independent investigator to review the claims made against Diaz and O’Neill, who leads the media relations unit.

Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis was put on administrative leave on May 23, adding to the internal chaos at the SPD. In a message to staff, Diaz said the move was a precautionary step “due to (Office of Police Accountability) allegations.” It’s unclear the nature of the OPA complaint that led to the immediate suspension.

WATCH | Supporters of Seattle police chief back Diaz, argue accusers are 'serial complainers'

Davis — one of five assistant chiefs, according to the SPD’s website — has overseen special operations and joined the SPD in 1999. His department includes SWAT, hostage negotiations, the arson/bomb squad, the harbor unit and the canine unit. He is the highest-ranking African American officer in the department.

Davis was promoted by Diaz and replaced Eric Greening, who recently filed suit against the city of Seattle and Diaz alleging he was retaliated against for reporting on discrimination within the department and the appearance of segregation. Greening also claimed that community outreach was being done solely by female and BIPOC officers.

Last week, supporters of Diaz said accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination were from “disgruntled” employees who are “serial complainers.” Victoria Beach, Rev. Harriet Walden and Carmen Martinez made the claims in a 45-minute news conference in Beacon Hill since, they said, Diaz could not defend himself.

Diaz was hired as interim chief in September 2020 after Carmen Best resigned amid backlash over her handling of that summer's protests and her opposition to the City Council's plan to cut her budget . Two years later, Harrell said he intended to appoint Diaz to the permanent position, and Diaz was sworn in on Jan. 12, 2023.

The Southern California native graduated from Central Washington University before earning his master's in public administration from the University of Washington. Diaz joined the SPD in 1997 and began his career in patrol before joining the investigations bureau. He was promoted to assistant chief in 2017 and deputy chief in 2020, a month before taking over as the SPD's top cop.

Loudermill hearing for officer

With Wednesday's change at the top, Harrell was asked about the Loudermill hearing of Daniel Auderer, the Seattle police union vice president heard on video allegedly mocking the death of Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023. Kandula was a 23-year-old grad student from India killed when officer Kevin Dave hit her in a South Lake Union crosswalk while speeding nearly three times the legal limit as he responded to an overdose call.

The incident made national — and international — headlines after body-worn camera audio from another officer was released . Auderer responded to the Jan. 23 crash scene and afterward called guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In the recording released by the SPD, Auderer laughs and suggests that Kandula’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.”

“Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” Auderer said, inaccurately stating Kandula's age. “She had limited value.”

No criminal charges were filed against Dave.

The hearing, which will determine any disciplinary action for Auderer, began on May 16.

"She will make that decision as the process allows," Harrell said of Rahr. "Likely in a few weeks."

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Department of Labor reaches settlement with Linden contractor after finding the company failed to prevent fatal 5-story fall at a Bayonne work site

Osha news release - region 2.

May 23, 2024

Granite & Marble Services LLC to pay $13K penalty, agrees to enhanced abatement   

LINDEN, NJ  – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with a New Jersey contractor after a worker suffered a fatal fall at a Bayonne worksite in October 2023.

The settlement followed an inspection by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration of Granite & Marble Services LLC of Linden after the Bayonne Police Department alerted the agency that a worker had suffered fatal injuries at a multi-unit residential building under construction.

OSHA inspectors determined a 39-year-old worker had stepped onto an elevated platform to unload materials and fell from the building's fifth level. The agency found that the employer did not secure the work platform fully to prevent it from tipping or from being dislodged from a telehandler's forks. Granite & Marble Services also failed to provide legally required fall protection and used the work platform without the prior written approval from the telehandler's manufacturer. The agency cited the contractor with four serious violations.

After receiving its citations on April 25, 2024 , the company requested an informal conference with OSHA's area director and reached the settlement agreement with the agency. The agreement affirms Granite & Marble Services LLC's four serious violations, and requires the company to pay a $13,500 penalty, implement further enhanced abatement measures and develop a safety program and fall protection plan.

“While this settlement cannot reverse the preventable loss of life, it goes a long way to ensure that Granite & Marble Services LLC will abate hazards and implement safety measures to stop another tragedy,” said OSHA Area Director Joseph Czapik in Parsippany, New Jersey. “Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, which is why industry employers must protect their workers from clearly deadly hazards to ensure a safe workplace.”

As part of its fatality investigation, OSHA also initiated an inspection of ARC NJ LLC, operating as ARC Building Partners LLC and the general contractor at the Bayonne construction site. OSHA cited the company for two serious violations for its failures to ensure the platform was secured to the forklift and for not getting the manufacturer's written approval before attaching the working platform to the telehandler. Proposed penalties total $22,584. The company has submitted a notice of contest to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission .

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,069 construction workers died on the job, including 395 related to falls from elevation.

OSHA's  stop falls website  offers safety information and  video presentations  in English and Spanish to teach workers about  fall hazards and proper safety procedures . The agency also offers compliance assistance resources on  Protecting Roofing Workers  and  recommendations for developing a safety and health program .

Media Contacts:

Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, [email protected] Joanna Hawkins, 215-861-5101, [email protected]

Release Number: 24-1006-NEW