Overview

• OSHA opened public hearings on June 16 to review the Biden administration’s proposal for a federal heat safety standard, marking the first rule of its kind
• The draft rule would require employers to supply water and shaded rest areas at an 80°F heat index and mandate 15-minute breaks every two hours above 90°F
• President Trump is not legally obligated to implement the standard and his OSHA chief, David Keeling, has drawn criticism over past roles at companies fined for safety violations
• At least nine workers died of heat-related causes last August, highlighting the growing threat of workplace heat stress as temperatures rise
• Seven states have enacted their own workplace heat rules and others are considering measures, while Florida and Texas bar local governments from setting stricter standards