Key facts
- The White House indefinitely froze proposed federal heat safety regulations in January 2025.
- The regulations would have mandated water, shade, breaks, training, and prevention plans for workers.
- This summer was the hottest on record in the US.
- Heat has caused over 2,300 deaths in the US in 2023 and 2024 combined, the highest in 45 years.
- California's outdoor heat protections have reduced heat-related workplace fatalities by at least 33% since 2010.
- The Department of Labor is reviewing public comments on the proposed heat injury and illness prevention rule.
Workers are facing extreme heat conditions across the US, with the summer of 2026 being the hottest on record. Many outdoor workers, like Esther Minton, a member of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 28, describe the daily struggle to stay cool and hydrated while performing physically demanding tasks. Minton noted the importance of appropriate clothing for protection from the sun and the draining effect of prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Donald Nesbit, executive vice-president of Local 372, recounted working in school kitchen basements that reached temperatures between 130F and 140F, likening the conditions to torture and emphasizing the need for worker protections. He questioned why such conditions would be acceptable for animals in a car but not for humans in a workplace.
The federal government's efforts to establish heat safety regulations have stalled. In January 2025, the White House indefinitely froze Biden-era regulations that would have mandated water, shade, breaks, training, and prevention plans for workers. Concurrently, House Republicans have been advancing legislation to prevent the Department of Labor from enacting any heat exposure protections. Similar legislative efforts have also occurred at the state level in Florida and Texas, prohibiting local governments from implementing their own heat safety rules.
Big business groups, particularly from the agricultural and construction industries, have opposed federal heat protection standards, arguing that employers already provide adequate measures and that new mandates would be burdensome. However, workers at a recent Climate Week roundtable strongly disagreed with this assessment.
Currently, only seven states have enforceable heat prevention standards. A study published in Health Affairs in December 2025 found that California's outdoor heat protections have led to at least a 33% reduction in heat-related workplace fatalities since 2010.
Julie Su, deputy mayor of New York City for economic justice, and Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, implemented heat protections for city workers in June, partly in response to the federal government's inaction. Su highlighted that while New York City is taking action within its powers, a federal standard is still needed.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that over 550 US workers die and nearly 28,000 are injured annually due to heat exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat has caused more than 2,300 deaths in the US in 2023 and 2024 combined, marking the highest number in 45 years of records.
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor stated that OSHA is reviewing public comments on the proposed 'Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings' rule and provides compliance assistance to employers on workplace hazards, including heat safety.