Nevada Implements Guidance for New Heat Illness Regulation

The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released guidance (PDF) for the state’s new regulation protecting workers from heat illness. The Nevada Department of Business and Industry announced in November 2024 that the regulation had been filed with the Nevada Secretary of State and gone immediately into effect. The regulation requires Nevada businesses with more than 10 employees to perform a one-time job hazard analysis of working conditions that could cause heat illness. If so, employers must develop written safety programs, emergency procedures, and training protocols to protect workers. The heat illness prevention guidance document is intended to help affected employers and workers understand the new regulatory requirements.

In Q&A format, the guidance document explains the scope of the heat illness regulation, the requirements of the job hazard analysis, examples of engineering and administrative controls and personal protective equipment, recommendations for the written safety program, and other matters related to the rule’s implementation. “This guidance differentiates between actions that are required in the regulation versus actions that are recommended/best practices,” the document states.

To allow employers time to implement the document’s provisions, Nevada OSHA has stayed the enforcement of the heat illness regulation for 90 days after the release of the guidance document on Jan. 29, 2025. Enforcement measures will begin on April 29.

According to the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, heat-related complaints to Nevada OSHA have “grown exponentially” since 2021. “During calendar year 2021, 344 complaints were filed, compared to 467 complaints filed through September 2024,” the department notes.

More information about Nevada’s new heat illness regulation is available in a news release by the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. The heat illness regulation guidance document may be downloaded as a PDF.