Osha and Heat Safety
WorkersComp Forum from Risk & Insurance is reporting that the Trump administration is rewriting Biden-era workplace heat protections and scaling back OSHA inspections just as record summer temperatures spread across the U.S., according to The New York Times.
What’s the big picture? Apparently, the administration is reversing momentum toward making extreme heat a codified workplace hazard, deepening the divide between labor and industry over how to respond to rising temperatures. Business groups say most employers already protect workers from heat, while labor groups warn oversight is declining as immigration enforcement discourages workers from reporting unsafe conditions.
- 530 workers died from heat-related causes in 2024, per AFL-CIO data.
- 7,000 inspections related to extreme heat were conducted by OSHA from April 2022 to December 2024, including 147 potential heat-death investigations.
- 1,400 warning letters and 60 citations were issued in that same span, up from roughly 200 heat-related inspections a year from 2015-2020.
- 20% decline in OSHA inspections over six months last year compared with the same period in 2024, per data from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Where are we at now? OSHA held a scheduled hearing on the Biden heat protection rule in June 2025 and last month outlined plans to continue rule-making, but with major revisions expected by year’s end
- A final rule isn’t expected until 2027.
- Legislation introduced in Congress would prohibit the Labor Department from adopting theBiden-era heat plan or similar rules.
The takeaway: Federal efforts to mandate breaks, water, and shade for workers are stalling rather than accelerating. That begs another question: As a contractor, what is the right thing to do for your workers? Reasonable shade, hydration, work breaks, a little slower pace, start earlier in the day, and finish a bit earlier.
For more weather safety tips and advice on ensuring that your policies cover what matters most in case of weather related disasters, check out our other posts!
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