OSHA Heat Rule Panel Hears Pro, Con This Week

This week’s informal OSHA hearings on the proposed heat rule heard both pro and con feedback from representatives of contractors and labor unions.
“Many of the injuries and illnesses resulting from exposures to these heat hazards on the job are easily preventable with an appropriate heat illness prevention plan,” Tarn Goelling of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said in comments on the proposed rule.
Contractors were more critical, particularly of what they see as the rule’s “one-size-fits-all approach” to heat safety.
A representative of the Associated General Contractors of America called on OSHA to implement performance-based requirements in the standard because of the many variables within the construction industry.
The OSHA panel is holding a multi-day virtual public hearing on its proposed rule through July 2.
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A West Virginia federal judge has set a May 24, 2026 trial date to review whether NIOSH is properly carrying out black lung screening.
A Kanawha County coal miner filed a federal suit on April 7 on behalf of himself and others potentially affected by the loss of the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program.
That was in response to job cuts at NIOSH facilities, including at the Respiratory Health Division, which focuses on preventing work-related respiratory diseases and improving worker health.
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Canadian workplace safety leaders are pushing national consistency in workplace protections as part of the One Canadian Economy Act.
That national legislation includes mutual recognition provisions that could reshape safety policy.
The legislation allows certifications and standards valid in one province to be accepted federally, opening the door for harmonized training and credentialing.
Canada records more than 1,000 workplace fatalities annually.
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