8 Apr 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2026
Contact: Tochtli Garcia, tgarcia@nationalcosh.org, +1 917 804 8581
As Heat Season Begins, Federal Worker Protections Lapse, Putting Millions at Risk of Illness and Death
Lack of a federal heat standard leaves workers without guaranteed protections as OSHA enforcement ends
Los Angeles, CA – As temperatures begin to rise nationwide, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) is warning that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat is set to expire on April 8, 2026, leaving millions of workers without guaranteed, enforceable federal protections during the most dangerous time of year for heat exposure.
Unlike other workplace hazards, there is still no comprehensive federal heat standard requiring employers to protect workers from extreme heat. Even while the National Emphasis Program was in place, workers were not guaranteed basic protections.
The program provided targeted enforcement, but it could not replace a clear, enforceable rule. Its expiration now removes even that layer of oversight, reducing accountability for employers at a time when risks are increasing.
Launched in 2022, the NEP created a nationwide enforcement mechanism that allowed OSHA to proactively inspect high-risk workplaces and prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths. Since its implementation, the program has led to approximately 7,000 inspections in industries with the highest exposure to extreme heat. Its expiration signals a significant reduction in accountability for employers at a time when enforcement should be increasing.
“Allowing this program to expire at the start of heat season is both dangerous and unacceptable,” said Jessica E. Martinez, Executive Director of National COSH. “We already know what works. Water. Shade. Rest. Acclimatization. Training. These are simple, evidence-based steps. But without a standard, they are not guaranteed. They are not enforceable. When OSHA steps back, workers are left exposed to preventable harm.”
Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related hazards in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. Federal data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that an average of 3,389 workers suffer heat-related injuries and illnesses serious enough to require days away from work each year. Between 1992 and 2021, exposure to environmental heat killed 999 workers in the United States, with dozens of fatalities continuing to occur annually, including 43 deaths in 2022 alone.
Experts warn that these figures significantly underestimate the true toll of heat exposure. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, heat-related illnesses are widely underreported due to inconsistent diagnosis, reporting challenges, and the way symptoms manifest across different industries and populations.
Workers in construction, agriculture, warehousing, and delivery face some of the highest risks, often laboring in extreme temperatures without adequate protections.
Tony Pineda, a Tucson-based roofer and We Rise! Fellow with the Josefina Ahumada Worker Center, described the reality on the job:
“When the heat gets intense, you feel it in your body. You get dizzy, exhausted, and sometimes you cannot think clearly. But the work does not stop. Without clear rules, it depends on the employer, and that puts our lives at risk.”
Data from states with enforceable heat standards demonstrates that protections save lives. In California, enforcement of a heat safety rule reduced workplace heat-related deaths by 33 percent. Oregon has also seen significant reductions in heat-related illness after implementing its standard. These examples highlight the consequences of strong enforcement and the risks of allowing federal protections to lapse.
The expiration of the NEP raises urgent questions about how OSHA will protect workers during the coming months. Without a clear enforcement strategy, there is less oversight, fewer inspections, and greater risk of preventable injury, illness, and death at the height of heat season.
National COSH leads the Fired Up! Workers for Heat Justice campaign, a national effort organizing workers and allies to demand enforceable heat protections as climate-driven extreme heat intensifies workplace risks each year.
Call to Action:
National COSH calls on OSHA to immediately clarify its enforcement plan, ensure robust protections for both indoor and outdoor workers, and move swiftly to finalize a comprehensive, enforceable federal heat standard. At a time when extreme heat is intensifying, workers need stronger protections, not fewer.