Excessive heat in the workplace can cause a number of adverse health effects, including heat stroke and even death, if not treated properly.

Workers in outdoor and indoor work settings without adequate climate controls are at risk of hazardous heat exposure. Certain heat-generating processes, machinery, and equipment (e.g., hot tar ovens, furnaces, etc.) can also cause hazardous heat when cooling measures are not in place.

Current Status

The informal public hearing on OSHA's Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings proposed rule was held June 16 through July 2, 2025. Links to the official transcripts and archived recordings of the hearing, as well as questions asked of witnesses, are available in the box at the top of this page. The post-hearing comment period for individuals who submitted a Notice of Intention to Appear (NOITA) at the informal public hearing to file additional evidence and data relevant to the proceeding, as well as final written briefs, ended on October 30, 2025. Post-hearing comments are available for viewing at https://www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2021-0009-25504/comment.

On August 30, 2024, OSHA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. This is a significant step toward a federal heat standard to protect workers. The proposed standard would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction. The standard would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplace. It would clarify employer obligations and the steps necessary to effectively protect employees from hazardous heat. The ultimate goal is to prevent and reduce the number of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused by exposure to hazardous heat.

The NPRM is available on the Federal Register web page at https://federalregister.gov/d/2024-14824 and at www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. The public comment period for the NPRM closed on January 14, 2025.

For more information on this stage of the rulemaking process, visit https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/rulemakingprocess#v-nav-tab2.

About the Proposed Rule

• Heat Rulemaking Docket
• Federal Register Notice: Extension of post-hearing comment period 
• Public Hearing News Release
• Federal Register Notice: Extension of comment period and notice of informal hearing
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
• Document IDs for Heat NPRM References
• Heat NPRM Fact Sheet [Español]
• NPRM Compilation of Requests for Comment
• Recorded OSHA Presentation on the NPRM [Español]
• OSHA Presentation Slides on the NPRM [Español]

Background

• Previous Actions
• Heat Injury and Illness SBREFA

Resources

• OSHA's Heat Safety and Health Topics Page
• OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Campaign
• Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Work Group of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health