White House still pursuing heat standard

The Trump administration plans to continue to pursue a heat standard to protect workers exposed to extreme temperatures.

The administration is advancing “a set of high-priority actions designed to reduce unnecessary burdens on employers and employees,” the Labor Department said in a statement.

On the list is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s ongoing development of a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings standard, which has been in the works since 2024 under the previous administration and included a series of public hearings in June and July.

“The department is continuing to examine how to establish standards specifically related to heat-related injury and illness prevention,” the Labor Department said.

The proposed heat standard would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

The standard would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplaces, with rules calling for everything from acclimation times and rest breaks to shade requirements and recordkeeping, all generally taking effect once temperatures rise above 80 degrees.

The heat standard is among nearly 150 items on the Labor Department’s semiannual regulatory agenda.