Mayor Mamdani signs Executive Order to protect outdoor workers in extreme heat
According to city data, more than 1.4 million New Yorkers work outdoors each summer. Extreme heat contributes to approximately 500 deaths in New York City each year.
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Mayor Mamdani signed an Executive Order on Monday establishing New York City’s first coordinated plan to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat.
The order directs the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Emergency Management, and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to develop and distribute multilingual heat‑safety guidance for outdoor workers this year.
All mayoral agencies must create heat‑illness prevention plans for city employees and contractors.
DOHMH is instructed to study the link between extreme heat and workers’ compensation claims and to evaluate whether heat illness should become a reportable health condition.
The Department of Buildings will review and strengthen construction‑site heat‑safety requirements, with recommendations due by March 1, 2027.
The Executive Order reinforces existing protections for outdoor workers, including bathroom access and workplace reporting requirements.
The action is part of the administration’s broader heat‑preparedness strategy.
Earlier this month, the city released a public service announcement on heat safety, and more than 2,200 LinkNYC kiosks began displaying real‑time walking directions to nearby cooling centers during heat emergencies.
According to city data, more than 1.4 million New Yorkers work outdoors each summer. Extreme heat contributes to approximately 500 deaths in New York City each year.
