By Beeta B. Lashkari and Andrea Chavez

As record-breaking temperatures continue to impact communities and workplaces across the country, heat illness prevention remains a top priority for regulators at both the federal and state levels.  Below is an update on recent legislative and regulatory developments aimed at protecting workers from the hazards of extreme heat.

Federal OSHA: Rulemaking Hearing and Legislation

On the Fed/OSHA level, the current debate revolves around, if a final rule is promulgated within the next 3.5 years, whether that standard should be more prescriptive, or more performance-oriented, than the current proposed rule as drafted.  The two updates below, regarding the rulemaking hearing, and new legislation that has recently been introduced, reflect this tension.

Rulemaking Hearing:  As we just reported, the public rulemaking hearing on Fed/OSHA’s proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings rule recently concluded on July 2, 2025, after commencing on June 16, 2025.  Continue reading →