WHEREAS, temperatures continue to rise, with the last two summers being the hottest on record, increasing exposure and severity of heat risk for workers, indoor and outdoor, across industries throughout Arizona; and

WHEREAS, in the summer of 2023, the first year of my Administration, I took action by announcing the state’s first Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan, led by the Governor’s Office of Resiliency, and the creation of the nation’s first statewide Chief Heat Officer position, to proactively address extreme heat and risk in Arizona, grow the state’s resilience, convene stakeholders across jurisdictions, and coordinate and launch interagency initiatives; and

WHEREAS, as part of the state’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan, Arizona has been a leader in workplace safety when it comes to heat, with the launch of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Heat State Emphasis Program (SEP), also during my first summer as Governor, to emphasize the importance of water, rest, and shade for reducing worker exposure to heat-related hazards that result in illness; and

WHEREAS, since the launch of the Heat SEP, ADOSH has conducted 467 free and voluntary consultations for employers, offering them the opportunity to learn how to keep their employees safe from heat risk and recognize the signs of heat illness; and

WHEREAS, through its employer engagement activities under the Heat SEP and overall mission, ADOSH has found that many employers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety and productivity of their employees, furthering workplace safety efforts as effective means of recruiting and retaining talented employees, mitigating costs and risks to their business, and acting as model employers and corporate citizens in Arizona’s business community; and

WHEREAS, heat is a well-known and recognized occupational hazard acknowledged by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for more than three decades, and is an ever-present factor for maintaining safe workplaces; and

WHEREAS, through its employer engagement activities under the Heat SEP and overall mission, ADOSH has found that many employers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety and productivity of their employees, furthering workplace safety efforts as effective means of recruiting and retaining talented employees, mitigating costs and risks to their business, and acting as model employers and corporate citizens in Arizona’s business community; and

WHEREAS, Section 5(a)(1) of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 outlines the General Duty Clause, requiring employers to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm; in Arizona, ADOSH, overseen by the bipartisan Industrial Commission of Arizona, is tasked with the protection of life, health, safety, and welfare of Arizona's workforce; and

WHEREAS, through its employer engagement activities under the Heat SEP and overall mission, ADOSH has found that many employers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety and productivity of their employees, furthering workplace safety efforts as effective means of recruiting and retaining talented employees, mitigating costs and risks to their business, and acting as model employers and corporate citizens in Arizona’s business community; and

WHEREAS, Arizona is an immensely diverse state, with a wide array of climates and industries, requiring well-specified solutions to workplace safety that are also adaptable to particular conditions.

WHEREAS, through its employer engagement activities under the Heat SEP and overall mission, ADOSH has found that many employers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety and productivity of their employees, furthering workplace safety efforts as effective means of recruiting and retaining talented employees, mitigating costs and risks to their business, and acting as model employers and corporate citizens in Arizona’s business community; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Katie Hobbs, Governor of the State of Arizona, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Arizona Constitution and laws of this state, hereby order and direct as follows:

WHEREAS, through its employer engagement activities under the Heat SEP and overall mission, ADOSH has found that many employers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety and productivity of their employees, furthering workplace safety efforts as effective means of recruiting and retaining talented employees, mitigating costs and risks to their business, and acting as model employers and corporate citizens in Arizona’s business community; and

1. The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) shall form a Workplace Heat Safety Task Force (“Task Force”), composed of members of the private sector, the public sector, worker representatives, and occupational safety and health experts, to draft and recommend Heat Guidelines for Employers with regard to heat risk, elaborating on the work of the Heat SEP and in line with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause, to create clear and effective guidance for employers with regard to heat risk.
2. The Heat Safety Task Force shall deliver its recommended Heat Guidance for Employers to ADOSH by December 31, 2025.
3. Pursuant to A.R.S. 23-410(A)(2), final recommendations shall be submitted to the bipartisan Industrial Commission of Arizona for its approval.
4. ADOSH shall create a recognition program that commends employers that go above and beyond basic requirements to support the safety, health, and welfare of their employees with regard to heat safety.
5. This Executive Order shall not confer any legal rights or remedies upon any person and shall not be used as a basis for legal challenges to any action or inaction of a State Agency, officer, employee, or agent thereof.