PHOENIX — It was a swelteringly warm day on the Phoenix worksite with temperatures well above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

With heavy machinery and gravity-defying heights, accidents will always happen. Thousands of construction contractors work through these often risky conditions every single day.

What local officials are dealing with mostly are now heat-related incidents, and its up to the state to monitor that for a massive industry in the Valley.

In Phoenix alone, there are “41.6 million square feet of active industrial construction projects, accounting for 10.9% of the national total,” according to LGE Design Build and there are nearly 219,300 construction workers as of July 2024 just in the state of Arizona. Building and landscape construction is one of the key components of local cities and communities, however workers safety is often overlooked. In 2022, there were 103 fatalities due to work-related incidents in Arizona, the highest number since 2000.

According to Jason Sangster, business manager and financial secretary of Ironworkers Local 75, many injuries found at these sites are heat-related.

Protection from the sun and the scorching temperatures in Arizona are of utmost importance, and the main enforcer of these rules is the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health. ADOSH sets guidelines and procedures companies must comply with under Arizona law unless they want to suffer fines and citations. If there is suspicion of a company neglecting worker safety under hot conditions, then they will hold an inspection.

“ADOSH will assess the potential for heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths where heat-related hazards may exist in indoor work areas or at outdoor work areas on heat priority days when there is an alert from the National Weather Service” according to a report from ADOSH regarding heat-related procedures.

Ironworkers Local 75 is one of the major construction unions in the Valley protecting the safety and rights of building reinforcement and ironworkers in Arizona since 1910. With almost 750 members, the union ensures all heat safety and contractor checklists are followed. Sangster says a union job steward is absolutely necessary on any construction site.

“They are the in between of the union and the company. Everything funnels to the steward on either side,” said Sangster. “If you don’t have water, they guys will let the steward know and the steward will let the company know to come up with a solution.”

Every worksite operating under the Ironworkers Local 75 has a job steward. These individuals are unique to the unions, said Sangster. He said that nonunion properties often suffer from a lack of communication from employee to employer. This leads to many issues being overlooked.

“I could go on and on about what they do not receive, and a lot of it is going to be working in anbunsafe workplace. It’s not ideal” said Sangster. “It’s two different worlds.”

Sangster claims the relationship between the government and the union is close, with both organizations working in tandem to protect worker’s safety.

One complaint toward ADOSH however is their lack of funding and staff. Sangster noted while they conduct extensive and thorough inspections, covering the entire state is often a struggle.

“Boots on the ground (ADOSH) do not have enough people to check these job sites and check what’s going on throughout the whole state of Arizona. I think (ADOSH) only has maybe three or five people that they can afford to hire,” said Sangster.

In response to claims about understaffing, ADOSH said in an email, “Currently, the division is actively recruiting to fill vacated positions to better support our mission and goals in assisting to keep Arizona’s workplaces safe and free from recognized hazards.”

If any worker suspects that there are unsafe working conditions at their job site or place of employment, ADOSH encourages them to report these through the agency’s complaint form to ensure the safety of all employees.

“ADOSH offers consultation services to Arizona businesses at no charge… The goal is to help build a strong health and safety culture across the State of Arizona to eliminate fatalities and injuries in the workplace,” ADOSH said.

Lilly Roseburrough is a student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.