NYC Orders Heat Protections For Outdoor Workers

NEW YORK, NY— The City moved to expand protections for outdoor workers as rising temperatures increase heat-related risks across construction sites, airports, delivery routes and street work.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order directing a coordinated citywide response to extreme heat, targeting safety rules, agency planning, and new health research focused on workers most exposed to high temperatures.

More than 1.4 million New Yorkers work outdoors each summer, according to city data.

“I’ve personally gotten sick and passed out in the heat before,” John Mosquera, a ramp agent at LaGuardia Airport, said. “Some days it feels like you are working inside an oven.”

The order requires every mayoral agency to create heat illness prevention plans for employees and contractors.

It also directs the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to study the relationship between extreme heat and workers’ compensation claims and consider whether heat illness should become a reportable condition.

City data show heat contributes to about 500 deaths annually in New York City, making it one of the most dangerous weather-related conditions affecting residents and workers.

“Our data show that Black New Yorkers bear a disproportionate burden of heat-related illness and death, and that outdoor and indoor workers alike are among the most exposed populations in the city." NYC Health Commissioner Alister Martin said.

Guidance for indoor workers must follow by March 1, 2027.

The policy builds on the city’s existing heat response systems, including emergency cooling center networks and public messaging campaigns.

The administration also expanded digital access to cooling information through LinkNYC kiosks, which now provide directions to the nearest cooling center within a 10-minute walk during heat emergencies.