California Seeks to Expand Heat Protections for Prison Workers

California safety regulators want to be the first to give heat safety protections for workers in the state’s correctional facilities.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued a proposal that, if finalized, would make California the first state in the nation with a safety standard designed specifically to address extreme heat in prisons and other correctional facilities.

California adopted its indoor heat protections for workers in 2024, and noted at that time that it had plans to develop an industry-specific regulation for local and state facilities. Worker advocacy groups objected to the prison and jail exception, but ...