Cal-OSHA

California is crafting weaker heat protections for prisons than other workplaces, citing billions in costs to cool aging institutions as climate and health risks increase.

OSHA received reports of over 1,000 heat-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities from 2017 to 2022, including 211 deaths. While California has heat safety standards in place for both indoor and outdoor workers, there isn’t a federal rule in place — yet.

With summer approaching, the state California is implementing new rules to protect outdoor workers. Revised heat safety regulations from Cal-OSHA take…