August 22, 2025

By Lane Kimble

As the dog days of summer wind down, efforts to convince OSHA to significantly revise an overly broad “heat rule” are ramping up.

ARTBA put out a last call for responses to OSHA’s list of questions for contractors as the agency considers what to do with the Biden-era rule.

OSHA’s list of 16 questions covers how contractors already protect workers from heat-related illness, what kind of administrative burdens the rule would place on companies, and why the rule isn’t practical. OSHA also wants to know things such as how contractors provide water on large projects, how they provide shade, and how breaks are managed.

You can read the list of questions HERE and provide answers to ARTBA’s Prianka Sharma and Brad Sant. Contractors can elect to have their names redacted.

ARTBA will compile your answers into a written response, which is due in September.

The heat rule would require all companies with 10 or more employees to develop a written heat prevention plan in collaboration with non-managers. It also would mandate at least one quart of water per hour for all employees on job sites and selecting a designated heat-safety coordinator, among other standards.

Stronger requirements go into effect when temperatures hit 90 degrees and up.

ARTBA and WTBA members have urged the Trump administration to amend or ditch the rule, noting it’s too broad (given the country’s varying climates) and unnecessary, with contractors already placing employee safety at the forefront.