Dear President Biden, Acting Secretary Su, and Assistant Secretary Parker,

As religious conferences, faith communities, and faith-based organizations, we join together from diverse traditions to strongly support the Biden Administration’s recently proposed Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) rule, which would protect an estimated 36 million workers from dangerous heat conditions and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and even deaths in the workplace. 

Our faith traditions find common ground in our commitment to honor the dignity and sanctity of all people and our calling to care for God’s Creation. 2024 has already seen the hottest days on record, and is expected to be the hottest year ever as we continue to pollute God’s planet with climate warming gasses. Tens of millions of workers, disproportionately low-wage earners, people of color, and immigrants, are suffering from this dangerous heat as they work. All workers deserve safe working conditions, and must be protected as our climate continues to warm. As the biblical prophet Jeremiah reminds us, “Woe to they who build their house by unrighteousness and their upper rooms by injustice.” 

The administration’s proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings is a step towards creating more just conditions for workers across the country, ensuring that employers establish and implement plans to address excessive heat conditions such as workplace requirements for rest breaks, drinking water, and training for the signs of heat-related illnesses. The rule will prevent avoidable heat-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses, as well as missed work days, across OSHA regulated industries. 

We commend the Biden Administration and the Department of Labor for its faithful work on this matter, and urge swift passage and implementation of this rule. While we must address the root of extreme heat - climate change - this must be done alongside adaptation measures such as the OSHA rule, which protect the wellbeing and safety of our communities as we face the increasingly dire consequences of climate change and environmental degradation. 

Sincerely,