Record heat is dangerous for workers outside. Even so, Governor Abbott just signed a law preventing local communities from enacting laws for mandatory water breaks.
As a former texan; this shit doesn’t surprise me. Abbot has always been this kind of idiot; and there’s always been a huge culture of entitled business and company owners in general.
Can’t have pesky humans and their need for water get in the way of progress. If they can’t handle the heat just replace that one with another more hungry than the previous. /s
Especially in Texas. We have one of the biggest and most authoritarian governments in the country whose power is heavily weighted to the executive branch. It is emblematic of the problems of “big government.”
Doesn’t this violate OSHA? I’m doing HAZWOPER training right now at work and just covered the heat stress section. OSHA mandates that you have to give workers access to clean water, shade, and rest breaks.
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As a former texan; this shit doesn’t surprise me. Abbot has always been this kind of idiot; and there’s always been a huge culture of entitled business and company owners in general.
What is the “official” justification for such a ridiculous move?
According to the Texas Tribune:
They are sacrificing people on the altar of the economy again.
Can’t have pesky humans and their need for water get in the way of progress. If they can’t handle the heat just replace that one with another more hungry than the previous. /s
You’re using a /s tag but that’s literally how it feels to live in Texas
Texas must be a failed state if taking water breaks when working outside on hot days is bogging down the economy.
“If we give them water then what next? Safety equipment? Paid time off?? Won’t someone think of the shareholders!?”
Where’s the antiwork mag? They should be all over this.
Where’s OSHA? They should be all over this too!
I suspect the state rules are compliant with OSHA and the local rules being override were above and beyond what is needed for OSHA.
Someone should put all of Abbot’s water high up on a shelf…
Its like they wake up in the morning and think “how cruel can I be today?”
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
more like “how cruel can I be today so i can continue to distract everyone from the truly evil shit we’re doing?”
This one’s just a bit of nostalgia from the slavery days for them.
That is actually exactly it lmao
fuck you abbot you goddamn piss baby
Even the government is bigger in Texas.
Especially in Texas. We have one of the biggest and most authoritarian governments in the country whose power is heavily weighted to the executive branch. It is emblematic of the problems of “big government.”
Doesn’t this violate OSHA? I’m doing HAZWOPER training right now at work and just covered the heat stress section. OSHA mandates that you have to give workers access to clean water, shade, and rest breaks.
Edit (citation): https://www.osha.gov/heat/employer-responsibility
Idk. But someone has to first fight it in the courts. That’s time and money. Not something that most are going to be able to do.
It’s not in effect yet, starting september. Now I know absolutely nothing about US law, but can’t OSHA itself fight this?
OSHA is really, really, really underfunded, to the point most OSHA complaints go uninvestigated, iirc.
That’s a thing about these laws. Fighting them isn’t as quick as passing them. I would hope it’s thrown out, but people will die in the meantime.
Small government for the win! /s
Sadly there is gonna be a lot of wrongful death lawsuits over this, I guarantee it.