Nevada Regulation Would Protect Workers from the Summer Heat

Nevada lawmakers have approved the state’s first regulation to protect workers from the heat usually associated with the desert climate. This breakthrough took four years of trial and error and was hailed by activists in the state.

The Regulation Was Long Overdue

The regulation, now signed into law by the secretary of state’s office, concerns businesses with at least 10 employees, which must now conduct job hazard analysis on working conditions that could cause heat illness.

Depending on the results of this analysis, businesses must create safety programs that mitigate possible risks by providing workers with access to potable water and, if needed, breaks. Once submitted, the plans will be enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The OSHA hailed the new regulation, highlighting the real dangers the heat presents. According to Victoria Carreon the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations administrator who oversees the OSHA, it was high time to introduce a regulation that mandates shade, water or breaks for workers.

The new regulation comes in the wake of a record summer in Nevada when temperatures reached new all-time highs, resulting in the deaths of over 400 people.

Nevada Avoided a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

The new regulation’s success was attributed to the elimination of a temperature threshold that would have required employers to take action against heat, according to Carreon. She explained that lawmakers decided that it was inappropriate to have a uniform temperature that would be used in every instance. Instead, Carreon’s team decided that a job hazard analysis for every type of job would better determine the hazards faced by individual workers.

As a result, businesses will need to develop their list of concerns by summer 2025. By allowing each business to create its own solutions, the government will effectively spare the industry many difficulties.

Paul Moradkhan, the Vegas Chamber’s SVP of government affairs, added that businesses have different standards and nuances. While outdoor workers are generally exposed to more significant risks, workers in buildings without climate control are also not safe. Moradkhan noted that the new regulation does not apply to areas with air conditioning, although it would if an area’s climate control systems, become defunct for any reason.

The fact that indoor workers’ conditions have also been considered was widely praised by experts who appreciated that the government has opted for an approach that takes businesses’ individual qualities into mind.