Local rules mandating water breaks for Texas construction workers face cut

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

Local rules mandating regular water breaks for construction workers in parts of Texas face being nullified amid a planned chance in the law.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has given final approval to House Bill 2127, which aims to eliminate a collection of local ordinances across the state.

Its supporters claim that it will stop business being bogged down in extra rules and regulations.

But opponents, including the Texas AFL-CIO state federation of labour unions warned that it would nullify ordinances in Texas and Dallas that established 10-minute water breaks every four hours to protect construction workers from the sun, according to the Texas Tribune.

The news came amid a heatwave in Texas, which is the state where most workers die from high temperatures, according to government data.

The Bill is set to go into effect on 1 September.