Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal OSHA has proposed new rulemakings seek to minimize respiratory protection requirements for employers which may require employers to update practices in 2026.
In June 2026, OSHA has advanced a proposal to amend the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) and scheduled virtual public hearings on this and other proposed rulemakings.
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New York City has taken a significant step toward regulating workplace heat exposure. On June 22, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an Executive Order (EO) directing city agencies to develop worker heat safety guidance, heat illness prevention plans, and recommendations for stronger construction-site protections.
The EO does not immediately impose a broad private-sector heat standard,
OSHA penalties normally increase annually on January 15 of each year to account for inflation. These adjustments are designed to ensure that penalties remain aligned with the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). Currently, the maximum penalties for serious, and other-than-serious posting requirements is $16,550 per violation; $16,550 per day for failure to abate violations; and $165,514
As temperatures rise across California, employers should revisit their obligations under Cal/OSHA’s heat illness prevention standards. California continues to regulate both outdoor and indoor heat exposure, and those requirements remain important in 2026. By contrast, federal OSHA still has not issued a final nationwide heat-specific standard. OSHA’s proposed rule, Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in
By: Ilana Morady
Cal/OSHA recently issued a revised draft of its general industry workplace violence prevention standard, offering the clearest indication yet of how the Division intends to build on SB 553. Although the rule is not final, the current draft reflects meaningful stakeholder input and signals where compliance expectations are likely headed. Employers should
With summer nearing, California employers should review their workplace violence prevention plans and complete annual training. Read more about WVPP: California Workplace Violence Prevention: Annual Review and Training Deadlines Are Coming Back Around.
The short answer is regulatory limbo. OSHA’s Heat Stress rule, called “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings,” was part of the Spring 2025 Regulatory Agenda. OSHA also held public hearings in mid-2025 and ended the post-hearing comment period in October of last year. The Agenda did not provide a specific
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has revised its National Emphasis Program (NEP) addressing indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards, effective April 10, 2026. The updated directive is designed to focus inspections and outreach on industries and workplaces where heat-related risks are most likely to occur.
Primary Differences
Although the revised NEP formally cancels and
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) has released it’s annual “Dirty Dozen” list of companies they say show disregard for worker and community safety. Criteria for inclusion included severity of injuries to workers; exposure to unnecessary and preventable risk; repeat citations; and activity by workers to improve health and safety conditions.
Virginia is among a growing number of states that have adopted healthcare-specific workplace violence prevention and reporting obligations. On April 6, 2026, Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill (HB) 1489, which expands and clarifies workplace violence reporting requirements for hospitals with emergency departments.
Specifically, the new law requires covered hospitals to: