By: Mary Wagner, Nevada Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres
Date: July 2, 2025
About: OSHA Proposed Heat Rule, Docket #OSHA-2021-0009
To: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Good afternoon, my name is Mary Wagner, and I am the Nevada Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres. I have been a proud resident of Nevada for the last 17 years, and I’m a mother of two — one of whom has asthma.
We live in Las Vegas, one of the fastest-warming cities in the country. Just this June, we’ve already hit triple-digit temperatures. That means higher energy bills for families like mine, more sickness, and less time for my kids to play outdoors. For children, elders and people with pre-existing conditions like my son, extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s dangerous and costly.
Working outdoors in this kind of heat can be life-threatening. This year alone we have already had 3 heat related deaths in Nevada. Exposure can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death if not treated quickly. Extreme heat drives up hospital admissions for respiratory and heart issues. This is personal for my community — many of our Latino families work outdoors in construction, landscaping, agriculture, and other physically demanding jobs that keep this city going.
Latinos are at disproportionate risk. About 80% of farm workers in this country identify as Hispanic, and since 2010, Latinos have made up about one-third of heat-related worker deaths in the U.S., despite representing only 17% of the workforce.
As a Latina mother, I’ve also experienced firsthand the dangers of being pregnant in Nevada’s extreme heat. Pregnant people face higher risks of preterm labor, low birth weight, and pregnancy loss. Barriers like poverty and language access only make it harder for mothers in our community to get the care they need during pregnancy.
Beyond physical health, extreme heat affects mental health, increases violence, disturbs sleep, and leads to higher rates of hospitalization and death. Heat is a silent killer — one that doesn’t stop, not even at night when families should be able to rest and recover.
Without bold action, this crisis will only get worse. By 2050, we could be facing three to four times as many dangerously hot days if we fail to reduce climate pollution.
Key Asks:
- Strong support for the rule: Moms Clean Air Force strongly supports OSHA’s Heat Injury Proposal as a critical step toward developing strong heat stress and injury prevention standards for workers. We call on OSHA to finalize the strongest possible version of this standard as quickly as possible. We’re testifying today because our voices matter — this is our chance to speak up for our communities and loved ones.
- Increased protection for at-risk populations: We urge OSHA to include stronger protections for vulnerable groups like pregnant people, older adults, those with preexisting health conditions, and workers who may face additional risks, such as exposure to air pollution on the job.
- Increased protection during heat waves: Heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense. The final rule must include added protections for workers during these dangerous periods.
- Cultural responsiveness: We strongly support the rule’s inclusion of language access requirements to ensure that heat safety information is available in languages workers and supervisors can easily understand. This must be maintained in the final rule to ensure true equity in worker protection.
Our families, our workers, and our communities deserve better. The time to act is now.
Thank you for your time.