The Biden administration took significant steps to shield workers from extreme temperatures, introducing proposed rules aimed at preventing heat-related illnesses and fatalities on the job. These protections were designed to address growing concerns about workplace safety during increasingly frequent and intense heat waves across the country. Now, the Trump administration is charting a different course, taking a notably gentler approach with employers and rolling back many of the planned safeguards.

The shift signals a broader deregulatory stance on occupational health standards, prioritizing flexibility for businesses over mandatory federal heat protections. Industry groups have welcomed the move, while labor advocates warn that workers face heightened risks without enforceable heat standards. The change affects sectors such as agriculture, construction, and warehousing, where employees are most vulnerable to extreme heat exposure.

The reversal comes as part of a wider pattern of the current administration undoing Biden-era regulations across multiple policy areas. Federal agencies are expected to ease enforcement and reduce requirements for employer heat illness prevention programs, potentially leaving millions of outdoor and indoor workers with fewer federal protections against dangerous temperatures.