Ontario NDP pushes for workplace heat protection as climate crisis escalates

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP MPP and Critic for the Environment, Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth), is calling on the Ford government to act now to protect workers from extreme heat on the job, as Ontario faces another summer of record-breaking temperatures.

“Working in extreme heat shouldn’t be a death sentence,” said Tabuns. “Climate change is already here, and workers across the province are feeling the impact. It’s time for the government to stop dragging its feet and put real protections in place.”

Tabuns will re-introduce a bill in the legislature updating Ontario’s health and safety laws to account for climate-driven heat stress, including maximum heat exposure thresholds, mandatory rest and hydration breaks, and enforcement tools for unsafe conditions. The bill is co-sponsored by NDP MPP’s West, Pasma and Vaugeois. It was developed in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Labour.

“From construction sites to warehouses to classrooms, workers need protection from rising temperatures,” said Tabuns. “We’re asking this government to show some urgency and ensure no one risks their health just for doing their job.”

Tabuns will be joined by representatives from the Ontario Federation of Labour, Toronto Civic Employees Union CUPE 416, and municipal outside workers, who are on the front lines of climate-driven heat exposure.