For many of us, this summer up to now has been a constant cycle of waiting on sweltering subway platforms or banging on a sputtering air conditioner that won’t kick on. The month of July showed just how hot it can get at any time. The extreme heat combined with humidity had hazardous effects to the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers. And for those who spent their days working in the scorching sun, the job doesn’t stop just because the temperature climbs. And when the temperature peaked at its highest, these job sites became heat traps for serious injury or even death. Heat-related hazards, including but not limited to — heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, cardiac and respiratory complications — are all considered workplace injuries. More often than not, workers are told to go beyond their limits because they need their job to survive. It is the responsibility of employers and contractors to monitor working conditions that account for that risk — not the workers themselves. If the basic precautions get ignored, such as denied water breaks, or being forced to work through dangerous heat advisories, you should seek legal advice immediately to see if you have a viable case.
There are roughly 500 deaths in New York City every year due to heat-related incidents. More than 1.4 million New Yorkers — about a third of the city’s entire workforce — spend significant portions of their day working outdoors, including construction workers, delivery drivers, street vendors, ground crews in parks, airports, stadiums, and more.
Mayor’s Office Takes Action to Protect Workers
On June 22, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order No. 17, “Protecting Workers From Extreme Heat,” directing city agencies to build out new heat-safety protections for outdoor and indoor workers alike. City officials called it the first initiative of its kind in New York City history. “No one should have to choose between their paycheck and their health,” said Mayor Mamdani. “In the past, workers have borne the burden of extreme heat while the government looked the other way. We’re changing that because every worker’s life is worth protecting.” The order instructed every agency under NYC labor department control to implement and develop heat illness prevention plans for city employees and contractors, both indoors and outdoors. The Department of Buildings (DOB) has vowed to spend the next nine months reviewing and strengthening construction site heat safety requirements and deliver new recommendations by March 1, 2027. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) will also provide multilingual heat safety guidelines for outdoor workers and will study the relationship between extreme heat and workers’ health compensation claims.
How The Executive Order Impacts Workers Today
While this is a good step toward heat-safety protection for workers, it’s important to note this is an executive order that only instructs New York City based agencies. This isn’t a new enforceable heat safety standard that affects private corporations and contractors. For now, the obligation to protect workers from heat-related illness and injury on job sites still rests on existing safety laws that are not always followed properly by those in charge.
Tips To Stay Safe
That being said, we would like to offer a few reminders for workers that can make a real difference and keep you out of danger for the rest of summer:
- Stay hydrated. Drink water and electrolytes every 15–20 minutes, even before you feel thirsty. Limit caffeine and avoid alcohol, both of which increase the risk of heat-related illness.
- Dress for the heat. Wearing a wide-brim hat and moisture-wicking clothing can help regulate body temperature far better than standard workwear.
- Take shade breaks seriously. Direct sun exposure can push the heat index up by as much as 15 degrees compared to shaded areas.
- Know the warning signs. Dizziness, cramping, headaches, confusion, and nausea are all symptoms of heat-related illness — don’t wait them out.