The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce convened on June 5 to examine the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and to hear testimony from Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. One topic that came up repeatedly was a possible national heat injury and illness prevention standard.
Last year, under the Biden administration, the DOL released a proposed rule that would require employers to implement an injury and illness plan to control workplace heat hazards. This would involve employers evaluating heat risks, instituting rest and water breaks, and providing training on recognizing signs of heat illness. Under the Trump administration, the rule has yet to be finalized.
“Made final in its current form, the proposed Biden-Harris heat standard would negatively impact many businesses, both medium and small,” said Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill. She emphasized the impact this would have in the agricultural sector, where workers primarily work outdoors.
When Miller asked Chavez-DeRemer whether the proposed rule would go into effect, the secretary did not offer a clear-cut answer. “Commonsense regulations are the key to growing the economy,” she said.
Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., said the proposed rule is “an onerous, one-size-fits-all program that fails to take [into account] geographic variability, exertion levels required on the job, and indoor versus outdoor environments that people work in.” He asked whether a one-size-fits-all heat rule would indeed...
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