Maryland becomes the first east coast state to adopt worker heat protections

Maryland’s newly published and adopted heat standard, which goes into effect Monday, requires all workers to have access to water, shade, and rest breaks when temperatures exceed 80 degrees — it joins just a handful of other states that have standards protecting workers from extreme heat. Maryland’s heat standard, which is nearly four years in the making, could have saved someone like Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore City sanitation worker whose on the job death was first reported by WYPR.