House panel advances idea to write law protecting workers from extreme heat and cold

House General & Housing Committee members heard detailed testimony Tuesday on H.348, a proposal to give Vermont the authority to set workplace protections for extreme heat and cold.

Labor representatives told the panel that rising temperature extremes are harming workers in warehouses, on delivery routes and at outdoor worksites and said a statute that sets temperature triggers, rest breaks and minimum equipment standards is needed. "People should be able to go to work and not have their water bottles freeze while they're there on a shift," said Curtis Clef, president of Teamsters Local 597.

Why it matters: Witnesses said changes in employer structure and climate-driven weather swings have reduced opportunities for acclimatization and local adjustments at worksites. Committee counsel noted that other states and federal agencies are already moving on temperature rules, giving Vermont several models to consider.

Curtis Clef, president of Teamsters Local 597,…