Summer’s Here. The Heat Rule Isn’t.

OSHA’s proposed heat standard — the one that would require acclimatization plans, water, rest, shade, and a pile of new recordkeeping — is stuck. The rulemaking has no finalization target, and a House bill (H.R. 6213) would bar OSHA from enforcing it at all.

So employers can relax, right?

Not quite. Here’s the trap. The specific rule is in limbo, but OSHA can still cite heat hazards today under the General Duty Clause. No new regulation required. And summer enforcement season doesn’t wait for Congress.

Basically: the mandate everyone’s fighting over isn’t final — but the underlying exposure is already here. If you’ve got workers outdoors or in hot indoor settings, the water/rest/shade basics aren’t just good practice. They’re your defense.

Watching a regulation is not the same as being ready for it.

Got a heat-illness plan that would hold up to an inspection? Worth a look before July.