Merkley & Dexter Introduce Bill To Protect Farmworkers From Heat & Smoke

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Third District Congresswoman Maxine Dexter have introduced a bill they say would put safeguards in place for farmworkers facing wildfire smoke and extreme weather dangers.  The Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act would tequire employers to provide N95 masks or other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified respiratory protection, along with training and education, to farmworkers exposed to hazardous air conditions.  It also directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop and publish an official standard to protect employees from wildfire smoke and extreme heat exposure.  Merkley and Dexter say during wildfire season, farmworkers must often work quickly in smoky conditions to harvest crops and protect them from smoke damage, and many do so without proper respiratory protection.

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