Compliance Stuff

  The second term of President Donald J. Trump started with a flurry of executive orders, presidential memoranda, and directives, some of which were signed on January 20, 2025, shortly after he took the oath of office. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not mentioned by name in those presidential documents, it will feel the impact of requirements outlined in several. In particular, several proposals for new OSHA standards or revisions to existing OSHA standards made during the last years of the Biden presidency will be impacted. Quick Hits On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum, “ Regulatory Freeze Pending Review ,” directing “all executive departments and agencies” to refrain from proposing or issuing “any rule in any manner” until a department or agency head appointed or designated by the president reviews and approves the rule. It immediately withdraws any rules that have been sent to the Office of the Federal Registe...

 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has moved a step closer to a final rule for “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.” OSHA sent the yet-to-be-unveiled rule to the Office of Management and Budget for an interagency review of up to 90 days, after which OSHA will publish the rule in the Federal Register to give it effect. While the final rule has not been published, the potential regulatory framework OSHA proposed in 2023 on the topic offers clues to how to prepare. Under the proposal, employers would be required to create and maintain a written Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) . Small employers with up to 10 employees would be exempted from the HIPP requirement. Further, outdoor and indoor work in any or all General Industry, Construction, Maritime, and Agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction would be covered. Other potential requirements under the proposed standard call for employers to identify heat ...