Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) wants to keep workers safe during the state's scorching summers. She recently announced new recommendations from a special task force focused on preventing heat-related injuries and deaths on the job.
Last summer, Arizona temperatures soared above 110 degrees, yet workers had virtually no legal protections against extreme heat exposure.
With a high number of Arizonans employed in high-risk outdoor industries, the absence of workplace heat safety standards left countless employees vulnerable to dangerous conditions and potentially permanent health impacts from heat-related illnesses.
Furthermore, earlier this year, Hobbs created the Workplace Heat Safety Task Force through an executive order. The group brought together 24 people from different backgrounds to find solutions everyone could agree on.
"Keeping hardworking Arizonans safe on the job has been a top priority of my administration since day one," Hobbs said.
Task Force Suggestions
During the past year, the task force held four meetings to study how to keep workers safe from heat. Their final suggestions emphasize three key strategies that have been shown to work: providing workers with enough water, shade, and time to rest; gradually helping new employees adjust to working in hot weather; and teaching everyone about heat safety.
The standards help employers develop heat safety plans and outline when exemptions might apply, including during emergencies.
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) will now oversee the implementation of these measures. They'll track workplace heat complaints and injuries each year to see if the standards are working. They're also creating downloadable templates to make it easier for small businesses to adopt safety measures.
A public session scheduled for February 4, 2026, will allow the ADOSH Advisory Committee to examine these proposals. Following this review, the Industrial Commission plans to reach a final determination in the spring.
“These commonsense recommendations focusing on access to water, shade, and rest will keep countless Arizonans out of harm’s way as they put food on the table and push our economy forward,” Hobbs concluded.
