{
  "id": 9531596,
  "title": "Adapting to extreme heat takes more than changing the clock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/adapting-to-extreme-heat-takes-more-than-changing-the-clock",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T09:15:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/extreme-heat-work-schedules"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Adapting to extreme heat requires more than simply altering the workday schedule, as schools, sports teams, and outdoor employers are increasingly doing. This shift could reshape the American workday and highlight the importance of cooling and energy infrastructure when outdoor conditions become unsafe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises employers facing dangerous heat to move work to early mornings or late afternoons, shorten shifts, rotate workers, and reduce strenuous tasks during peak heat hours.\n\nCalifornia's new Extreme Heat Action Plan emphasizes protecting vulnerable groups, such as workers, by increasing access to indoor cooling and strengthening energy systems to prevent grid strain and outages. Oregon's statewide heat-illness prevention rule comes into effect when the heat index reaches 80°F, mandating water, shade, and acclimatization, with extra measures like preventive cooldown breaks at 90°F, as mandated by Oregon OSHA. In 2022-2025, Oregon OSHA inspected 3,104 sites, issuing 408 citations totaling $652,640 in initial penalties.\n\nTexas offers an example of the practical challenges that arise when reorganizing daily life around heat. New statewide rules have schools scheduling sports practices during early or late hours to avoid dangerous conditions. While this reduces exposure for coaches, it extends their workday, as Ray Zepeda, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic director, explained. This adjustment increases the workload for coaches and athletic staff, who are full-time school employees.\n\nHowever, merely shifting schedules is not always sufficient. As extreme heat stresses the electricity system powering cooling, cooling measures become even more crucial. California's science adviser, Andrew Jones, highlighted that heat can strain the electricity grid, which is particularly concerning as people rely on electricity for air conditioning and safe indoor spaces during heat events. A grid failure during a heat event would be especially problematic, as it would deprive people of essential cooling and safe environments.\n\nAdditionally, workers' own metabolisms contribute significantly to body heat during strenuous outdoor work. Jennifer Vanos, an associate professor at Arizona State University researching extreme heat and human health, told Axios that rest and self-pacing can help workers manage heat stress. Research published this year found that reducing work intensity or spending less time working can lower heat load, but both can lead to less work being accomplished during that period.\n\nRegardless of the measures taken, Vanos emphasizes that someone will inevitably bear the cost. She points to research indicating that adequate rest and cooling can help workers remain productive and safer in hot conditions. The broader picture is that adapting to extreme heat involves implementing schedule changes, such as shifting work hours, but climate change and the urban heat-island effect can limit how far these schedule changes can go. In Phoenix, Vanos notes that the day is already \"pretty dead\" outside during the day, and increasing nighttime temperatures due to climate change and the urban heat-island effect may limit how much schedules can shift. Ultimately, the bottom line is that while shifting the clock can offer temporary relief from extreme heat, as the number of dangerously hot hours grows, there may be fewer safe hours to shift into.",
  "summary": "As extreme heat makes afternoons more dangerous, schools, sports teams and outdoor employers are shifting when — and sometimes whether — people can safely be outside. Why it matters: Adapting to hotter conditions could reshape the American workday while putting a premium on the cooling and energy infrastructure people rely on when outdoor conditions become unsafe. State of play: The federal…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}