"They do such important work and they’re often forgotten and we want to make sure that we’re protecting [them].”
— Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith
Florida’s agriculture and construction employers could soon be required to train outdoor workers and managers on avoiding heat-related illnesses under proposed legislation filed earlier this week.
The heat illness prevention bill, sponsored by Orlando Democrat Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, would set a statewide standard for all outdoor workers to be given plenty of drinking water, access to shade and 10-minute rest breaks enforced after every two hours of outside labor.
“We often call the farmworkers the ‘invisible ones’ because what they do is unseen, is unheard,” Smith said.