Federal rules designed to protect US workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses have been frozen by the Trump administration, coinciding with the country's hottest summer on record. In January 2025, the White House indefinitely halted Biden-era regulations that would have mandated water, shade, breaks, training, and prevention plans for workers.
Republicans in Congress are also seeking to prohibit the Department of Labor from implementing any workplace protections for heat exposure. Similar legislation has been passed by Republicans in Florida and Texas, preventing local governments from enacting such protections.
Big business groups, including those from the agricultural and construction industries, have opposed these standards, arguing that employers already take necessary precautions and that the rules would be burdensome. However, workers at a recent Climate Week roundtable in New York City disputed this, with one former school cafeteria worker recalling temperatures of 130F to 140F in school kitchens.
Currently, only seven US states have enforceable heat prevention standards for workers. A December 2025 study in the journal Health Affairs indicated that California's outdoor heat protections have led to at least a 33% reduction in heat-related workplace fatalities since 2010. 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.