On Wednesday, a delivery driver in Texas became the latest victim of the growing crisis surrounding heat safety in the state. The driver, who worked for Amazon, collapsed after becoming overheated while on the job, and later died at a nearby hospital.
The driver’s death highlights the dramatic lack of protections and regulation for workers in Texas, where temperatures during the summer months often exceed 100 degrees. Despite outcry from labor and safety advocacy groups about the something resembling a war zone, the state has yet to institute any major regulations to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.
The death of this delivery driver serves as a somber reminder of the dangers that workers in Texas face. He was the last known on-the-job fatality due to heat exposure in the state, though wages in the retail and delivery industries remain perilously low, adding to a dangerous concoction of increased risk of heat-related illnesses. This tragedy adds yet another layer to the already heated debate over heat safety in Texas, with workers, politicians, and businesses all pushing for measures to improve protections for those at risk.
