"The Biden administration took steps to shield workers from extreme temperatures. The Trump administration is taking a gentler approach with employers."

"Republicans in Washington are taking steps to roll back federal workplace heat protections as summer temperatures surge.

The Trump administration is moving to rewrite Biden-era rules that would mandate breaks and access to water and shade for workers, in a step businesses lauded but that labor groups said could weaken already limited federal protections. Congress is considering legislation that would go a step further, prohibiting the Labor Department from adopting the Biden-era heat plan or similar rules.

A​t the same time, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is curtailing workplace inspections that President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s appointees had increased to raise awareness of heat-related illnesses.

OSHA officials did not respond to questions about enforcement activity."

Scott Dance reports for the New York Times August 1, 2026. [2]