Biden administration proposes new actions to address extreme heat, including worker protections

The Biden administration is announcing new steps to combat extreme heat on Tuesday, including introducing the first federal safety standard addressing excessive heat in the workplace and allocating nearly $1 billion to help communities protect against natural disasters.

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing a rule that would enact workplace requirements aiming to protect workers from extreme heat, including requirements for identifying heat hazards, developing heat illness and emergency response plans, providing training to employees and supervisors, and implementing work practice standards such as rest breaks, access to shade and water, and heat acclimation for new employees.