Update: The OSHA extends the comment period after the hearing
On September 17, 2025, the Osha extended the deadline for the submission of post -hearing comments on their proposed Heat injury and illness prevention in work environments outdoors and indoors Rule. The judge of the chief administrative judge Steven Henley granted a 30-day extension and relocates the deadline to October 30, 2025.
As a memory, Osha published the proposed rule in the Federal register On August 30, 2024 and from June 16 to July 2, 2025, held an informal public hearing. So far, the agency has received more than 43,000 comments.
Only stakeholders who have submitted a declaration of intent to appear in the hearing may submit comments at this stage after stopping. Submissions, including the supportive data, must be submitted electronically www.regulations.gov (Docket No. Osha-2021-0009).
What does this mean for employers:
- Employers who are entitled to submit their earlier submissions and check whether additional comments are justified before the deadline on October 30th.
- Even if they are not justified, employers should continue to monitor this regulation precisely, since the OSHA quickly moves forward and concludes the heat standard.
- The proactive compliance planning-in the assessment of the current measures to prevent heat heat heat will help employers to remain before official changes.
Original articles published on June 19, 2025
When the summer temperatures rise, the urgency for security measures at the workplace is also in order to protect employees from heat -related diseases. On July 2, 2024, the occupational safety agency (OSHA) presented its proposed rule “heat injury and illness prevention in interior”, a groundbreaking step to build the first nationwide standard to combat excessive heat in jobs. With a public hearing that is scheduled to begin on June 16, 2025, this proposed rule is ready to change the administration of employers in the industries in the heating. The Osha will keep the hearing virtually and continue until July 2, 2025. The purpose of the hearing is to collect public contributions to the proposed rule that aims to protect employees from dangerous heat exposure.
What is the proposed rule?
The proposed standard of Osha is a comprehensive framework to protect around 36 million workers both indoors and outdoors. The rule applies to all employers and activates if the heat index is 80 ° F achieved “initial heat trigger” for more than 15 minutes for a period of 60 minutes. At 90 ° F, the “high heat trigger” presents additional requirements. Here is a snapshot of what employers should do:
- Written heat injury and disease prevention plan (Hiipp): Employers must develop and implement a tailor -made, written plan in order to evaluate and control heating. This includes the determination of a heat security coordinator to monitor compliance.
- Temperature monitoring: Outdoor employers often have to monitor the temperatures in order to precisely evaluate heat exposure. Employers must identify areas in which the heat index can reach 80 ° F and include a surveillance plan in the Hiipp.
- Mandatory breaks and cooling areas: With the initial heat release, employers must offer access to drinking water and breaking areas. With the high heat trigger, mandatory 15-minute breaks are every two hours and observation systems (similar to buddy systems) to monitor the symptoms of heat sickness.
- Training and acclimatization: Employees must receive training courses, emergency answers and acclimatization protocols in order to gradually build up tolerance compared to higher temperatures, especially for new or returning employees.
- Hazard warnings and signage: Employers must have heating wars before shifting or if a high heat is recognized, with accessible communication methods used, which are easy to understand by all employees. For interior areas of more than 120 ° F, warning signs are mandatory.
This is not just a suggestion – it is a specification standard, which means that employers have little scope to deviate from the requirements of the OSHA. The scope of the rule is huge and includes general industry, construction, maritime traffic and agriculture. However, exceptional regulations apply to work without adequate expectation of reaching the initial heat trigger or the areas that are consistently air -conditioned under 80 ° F.
Why this rule is a big deal
The advance from Osha after a federal theater standard has been cooked since 2021, which is heated by President Bidens Executive Order in 13990 to climate change. The national focus of the agency on thermal faith in April 2022 underlined the need for measures, although quotes were sparse as part of the general service clause and were often lifted in legal disputes. This proposed rule aims to close these gaps and to provide clear, enforceable requirements for the protection of employees from heat -related diseases that can range from heat creation to life -threatening heat.
Timing is critical. Rising temperatures are no longer just a summer, the resector wave waves, especially in regions such as the southwest. States such as California, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington already have standards for the prevention of heat disorders, and California's latest internal warmths (effectively on July 23, 2024) have similarities with the suggestion of Osha. For employers with existing plans, the good news is that the rule of Osha does not prescribe any changes if their program already contains the proposed elements. However, aligning her plan to the requirements of Osha could be an intelligent step to avoid violations of the general service clause.
The public hearing: your chance to shape the future
The public hearing begins on June 16, 2025 (and lasts until July 2, 2025) and offers employers, industry groups and employees a platform that will measure themselves. Only people who have submitted a timely announcement about the intention (Noita) may have to testify or ask questions at the hearing. In the comment time closed on December 30, 2024, robust engagement was pursued, and this hearing is the next step to refine the rule.
The recent decisions of the Supreme Court, such as Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondohave raised questions about the authority of federal authorities that may affect Osha's regulations. In addition, the “regulatory freezing check of the review of the Trump administration, which was published on January 20, 2025, could delay or change the review of the rule issued on January 20, 2025, although the effects on the ongoing regulation are still unclear.
Practical tips for employers
While the rule is still in the suggestion phase, proactive employers of the curve can be ahead. Like: How:
- Check existing plans: If you have a program for contraception of heat disease, compare it to the proposed elements of Osha. You could suspend gaps in the training, surveillance or fracture guidelines.
- Deal with the hearing: Take part in the hearing (even if you could not submit any timely Noita) to stay up to date and, if able to pronounce practical concerns, especially if your industry has unique challenges (e.g. indoor heat in the production or outdoor area in construction).
- Train your team: Start now with training courses and employees for heating and acclimatization. Early introduction can reduce risks and demonstrate compliance with compliance.
- Monitor the state standards: If you work with existing heat regulations in states, make sure that compliance with the potential federal orientation is prepared. For example, the California inner rule has trigger points at 82 ° F and 87 ° F, which differ slightly from the Oshas.
The heat is switched on – are you ready?
The proposed heat injury and prevention of illness from Osha is a wake -up call for employers to prioritize the safety of employees in a warming world. With the public hearing on June 16, 2025, there is now the time to get involved, prepare and adapt. Regardless of whether you are a small company or a multinational company, this rule could redefine your security obligations at the workplace.