This bill creates the first federal safety standard specifically designed to protect workers from heat-related illness and injury. Right now, there's no comprehensive federal rule addressing heat hazards at work, even though heat stress causes serious health problems and deaths, particularly among outdoor workers, agricultural workers, and those in hot industrial environments.

The bill requires the Secretary of Labor to create and enforce heat protection standards within one year. These standards would require employers to take multiple steps to keep workers safe, including providing cool drinking water, paid rest breaks in shaded or cool areas, and allowing workers to acclimatize to heat gradually. Employers would also need to train workers and supervisors to recognize heat illness symptoms and respond appropriately. For jobs where engineering controls can't eliminate heat hazards, employers must implement cooling vests, air-cooled clothing, or other protective equipment at no cost to workers.

The law also mandates that employers develop written heat illness prevention plans with input from their employees, maintain records of heat-related incidents, and ensure workers aren't punished for reporting heat safety concerns. All training and safety information must be provided in languages workers actually speak. Workers who are temporarily removed from hot conditions due to heat illness must continue receiving their regular pay. The bill gives the Labor Department flexibility to adjust standards as technology improves and conditions change, and it prevents any new standards from reducing protections workers already have under existing rules.