OSHA State Plans

By Beeta Lashkari and Andrea Chavez

As previously reported, on November 15, 2024, Nevada adopted heat illness prevention regulation R131-24AP, aiming to protect workers from heat-related hazards in both indoor and outdoor environments. Nevada OSHA has since released guidance on implementing the regulation, with enforcement set to begin on April 29, 2025—90 days after the guidance release on January 29, 2025.

Overview and Application of the Regulation

The regulation applies to employers with more than 10 employees in industries under Nevada OSHA’s jurisdiction, as well as employers in explosive manufacturing, regardless of size. It generally does not apply to employees working indoors in climate-controlled environments, including motor vehicles with functioning climate control systems. However, if such a system fails, employers must make good-faith efforts to reestablish an effective climate control system as soon as practicable and implement interim measures to mitigate heat illness risks.

Generally, under the new regulation, covered employers are required to: Continue reading →

By Scott Hecker, Rachel L. Conn, Eric J. Conn, and Aaron R. Gelb

As the dust settles on the 2024 Election Cycle and the pundits continue analyzing and dissecting the results, the OSHA/MSHA Team at Conn Maciel Carey draws from decades of experience representing employers during Republican and Democratic administrations to forecast how the workplace safety and health landscape may change with respect to enforcement, compliance assistance, and rulemaking under a second Trump Administration.

Enforcement Resources and Priorities

At the federal level, history can provide insight into the likely priorities of a second Trump term. As loyal readers of this blog know, OSHA operated without a confirmed Assistant Secretary for the entirety of the first Trump Administration. While agencies lacking Senate-confirmed leaders can feel adrift and directionless, with confusion about roles, responsibilities, and priorities, it was essentially business as usual at OSHA under Trump—at least until COVID-19 hit—with other agencies facing more focused efforts to deregulate. While it is not yet clear how quickly the second Trump Administration will turn its sights to OSHA, we’re unlikely to see a push to increase OSHA’s budget or even to backfill enforcement personnel who leave the agency. OSHA had the fewest compliance officers in its history during the Trump Administration, and despite efforts by President Biden to increase staffing levels, the number of enforcement personnel is sure to ebb again. Fewer compliance officers will lead to decreased enforcement activity, as well as overwhelming workloads for remaining employees, and such a combination often results in reduced morale.