The Trump administration is planning to renew a program that helps protect laborers from workplace heat.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s National Heat Emphasis Program was established under the Biden administration to initiate inspections at workplaces where heat exposure can be especially dangerous, in industries such as agriculture, warehouses and construction.
OSHA spokesperson Kim Darby said the agency “plans to publish” a new heat emphasis program, which was set to expire Wednesday. She did not provide details about the timing.
The decision comes months after the administration prompted concerns among lawmakers and health advocates by declining to outline whether the program would be renewed. Last week, a group of 43 congressional Democrats sent a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and OSHA chief David Keeling demanding that they extend the program to ensure workers have “tools they need to be safe and productive on the job.”
