Lawmakers Urge New Protections for Workers Facing Extreme Heat

MICHAEL SOL WARREN / NJ SPOTLIGHT – Adriana Alvarez knows what it’s like to be hot on the job. Too hot.

Alvarez, an Elizabeth resident, has in recent years worked for companies making acrylics and plastics products – both of which involve heavy machinery operating at high temperatures to melt and shape the materials. The conditions can be amplified to sweltering levels on hot summer days, when the outside temperatures and the sun bake the facilities …