California Excludes Prisons from New Indoor Heat Safety Regulations

State officials have revised the indoor heat rule to exclude correctional facilities due to cost concerns, delaying protections for prison workers.

California's revised indoor heat rule will exempt state and local correctional facilities, addressing cost concerns raised by the state's Finance Department.
The exclusion of prisons from the heat safety regulations has sparked disappointment among worker advocates, highlighting the lack of protection for prison staff and incarcerated workers.
Cal/OSHA plans to propose a separate heat safety rule for correctional facilities, which could take months or years to finalize.
The general indoor heat rule, nearly eight years in the making, aims to protect workers in industries like warehouses and manufacturing from heat-related illnesses.
The decision to exclude prisons has been influenced by estimated costs running into billions, significantly higher than initial estimates provided by workplace agencies.