Extreme Heat Exposes Gaps in U.S. Occupational Safety Rules

A construction worker cools off with water during a heatwave in June 2025. Recent extreme heat in the United States has proven deadly, claiming the lives of multiple workers as temperatures soared. The fatalities occurred amid a historic push by federal regulators to establish the nation’s first heat-specific workplace safety standard. This convergence of tragic events and policy action has brought renewed urgency to protecting workers from heat-related illnesses and deaths.

Unlike many other occupational hazards, heat stress has never had a dedicated federal OSHA standard. Instead, enforcement has relied on the General Duty Clause, which requires employers to keep workplaces free from recognized hazards. With climate change driving more frequent and severe heatwaves, safety advocates have long warned that stronger measures are needed. In 2021, OSHA began drafting a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule, and by mid-2025, it released a proposed standard. The proposal would require employers to provide access to water, rest breaks, shade, and emergency plans when heat indices exceed certain thresholds. However, some industry groups have pushed back, arguing that a one-size-fits-all rule (such as mandatory 15-minute breaks every two hours above 90°F) could overburden businesses in hotter regions where workers are supposedly “acclimated” to high heat. Despite these objections, many safety experts emphasize that no worker is immune to extreme heat and that preventative steps are critical.

In late June 2025, as a relentless “heat dome” smothered large swaths of the U.S., at least three workers died from heat exposure. These incidents underscored the stakes of OSHA’s public hearings on the proposed heat rule, which were underway at the same time. One construction worker’s death in Georgia and the collapse of a postal employee in Texas were among the cases drawing national attention to the issue. The weekslong OSHA hearing (from June 16 to July 2) gathered testimony from stakeholders. Labor representatives testified that these heat-related deaths are “completely preventable” with proper safeguards, citing examples of employers failing to provide breaks or ignoring heat illness symptoms in the field. By July 2, the hearings concluded, leaving OSHA officials to review the evidence and public comments. The agency has indicated it is weighing adjustments to the rule’s provisions (for example, tailoring rest break requirements), but there is strong pressure not to “weaken” the standard in light of the summer’s fatalities. Each new heat casualty reported in the news has intensified calls from unions, former OSHA officials, and health experts to move forward swiftly with protections for workers in both outdoor and indoor hot environments.

The convergence of extreme weather and worker fatalities has put OSHA’s timeline in the spotlight. The agency has signaled that a final rule could be ready by late 2025 or early 2026, followed by a 150-day phase-in period for employers. In the meantime, OSHA is stepping up enforcement through a National Emphasis Program on heat hazards, conducting targeted inspections during heat waves and citing employers under existing regulations when workers lack adequate water, rest, or cooling. The recent tragedies have also spurred broader conversations about climate resilience and labor rights. Legislators have introduced bills pushing OSHA to accelerate heat standards, and some states (like California) already have their own heat illness prevention rules that could serve as models. For safety professionals and employers, the clear message is to act now: implement heat safety plans, train workers to recognize heat stress, and adjust workloads on hot days. The summer of 2025 has made it painfully evident that without proactive measures, extreme heat can and will claim lives on the job. The hope is that a strong federal heat standard – coupled with vigilant enforcement – will help ensure that no worker has to risk their life for a paycheck in high temperatures.