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H 8311Workplace Safety

Health and Safety - Division of Occupational Health

Requires employers to provide paid breaks, equipment, and quarterly training to protect workers from extreme heat and cold.

Held for study
Population
Affected
28
Email Legislator
Introduced Mar 18, 2026Committee House Labor

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that employers implement safety measures for employees working in extreme temperatures, defined as at or above 90°F or at or below 32°F. Required protections include paid rest breaks, access to shade, water, and personal protective equipment. The bill specifically requires heating and cooling equipment for employees working in vehicles, warehouses, and outdoor sites for more than one hour. It further mandates that supervisors and employees in these environments complete quarterly safety training provided by the Department of Health. Retaliation against employees regarding these safety measures is prohibited.

For younger readers

This bill creates new rules to keep workers safe when it is very hot (over 90 degrees) or very freezing (under 32 degrees). Bosses must give workers paid breaks, water, and special clothes like warm coats or cooling vests. If people work in trucks, big storage buildings (warehouses), or outside for more than an hour, the boss must make sure there are heaters or air conditioners to keep them safe. Also, workers and bosses must take a class four times a year to learn how to stay healthy in extreme weather.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
EmployersConstruction WorkersWarehouse WorkersAgricultural WorkersDelivery Drivers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Mandates paid rest breaks and essential physical protections (water, shade, PPE) for workers, directly addressing the health and safety of vulnerable laborers in construction, agriculture, and logistics.
  • Establishes strong anti-retaliation protections, ensuring that employees cannot be fired or discriminated against for demanding safe working conditions or refusing to work in hazardous temperatures.
  • Requires the Department of Health to create educational resources, ensuring that safety training is standardized and government-oversighted rather than left to the discretion of private corporations.
  • The definition of "extreme heat" starts at 90°F, which may be too high, as heat stress and illness can occur at lower temperatures, particularly with high humidity or strenuous labor.
  • While it mandates "adequate" heating and cooling outdoors, the vagueness of this requirement could lead to enforcement difficulties or loopholes where employers provide minimal compliance that doesn't truly protect workers.
  • The bill lacks specific, guaranteed penalty amounts for non-compliance, forcing reliance on the general anti-discrimination statutes which may be time-consuming for low-wage workers to navigate legally.
For Conservatives
  • Provides clear definitions of temperature thresholds (90°F and 32°F), offering business owners specific metrics for when these protocols must be enacted rather than leaving it open to interpretation.
  • May reduce liability and workers' compensation claims for businesses by mandating preventative measures against heat stroke and frostbite, potentially lowering long-term insurance costs.
  • Ensures a level playing field by standardizing safety requirements, preventing unscrupulous competitors from cutting costs by endangering worker health.
  • Imposes a massive regulatory burden by requiring "quarterly" training for supervisors and employees, which will significantly disrupt productivity and increase administrative costs for businesses.
  • Mandates technically difficult and expensive requirements, such as installing heating and cooling equipment in "outdoor" working spaces like farms and construction sites, which may be financially crippling or physically impossible.
  • Represents significant government overreach into private business operations by dictating specific equipment (insulation, HVAC) for vehicles and warehouses regardless of the financial viability for the business owner.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 53 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 23-1.1 of the General Laws entitled "Division of Occupational Health" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 23-1.1-18. Extreme temperatures employee protection.

(a) As used herein, the term “extreme temperatures” means temperatures at or above ninety degrees Fahrenheit (90° F), or at or below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32° F).

(b) Employers shall implement plans and conduct business activities to prevent and reduce exposure of employees to extreme temperatures. These plans and activities shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) Employees shall have access to paid rest breaks, adequate shade, warming or cooling stations, drinking water, personal protective equipment, and other protections from extreme temperatures in regard to heat and cold.

(2) Pursuant to a program established in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, employers shall require supervisors and managers to:

(i) Complete the department of health’s online public tutorial program quarterly to recognize the signs of overexposure to hot and cold temperatures, such as injuries and illnesses caused by extreme temperatures, and ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is available such as hats, gloves, winter coats, cooling vests, and sunscreen as appropriate for the extreme temperatures; and

(ii) Ensure that heating and cooling equipment is maintained and functional.

(3) Further protections shall be established for employees who work in vehicles. Employees who spend more than sixty (60) minutes in vehicles, or whose workplace is considered a vehicle, shall have adequate insulation and heating/cooling equipment, within the vehicle to protect the occupants from extreme heat or cold.

(4) Further protections shall be established for employees who work in a warehouse. Employees who spend more than sixty (60) minutes in a warehouse, or whose workplace is considered a warehouse, shall have adequate insulation and heating/cooling equipment within the warehouse to protect the employees from extreme heat or cold.

(5) Further protections shall be established for employees who work outdoors, including, but not limited to, construction sites, farms, vineyards, recreation, and fishing sites. Employees who spend more than sixty (60) minutes outdoors, or whose workplace is considered outdoors, shall have adequate heating and cooling equipment, within the working space to protect the employees from extreme heat or cold.

(6) Pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, free and effective training on temperature safety shall be provided quarterly for employees who work in a warehouse, in vehicles, or outdoors, including, but not limited to, construction sites, farms, vineyards, recreation, and fishing sites. This training shall take place quarterly, during work hours and include the following elements:

(i) Inform and assist employees to identify the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of cold stress and heat related illnesses and the necessary medical responses;

(ii) Inform the employees of the paid rest breaks, adequate shade, warming or cooling stations, drinking water, personal protective equipment, heating and cooling equipment, and other protections which shall be provided;

(iii) Outline and clarify the employer's procedures for monitoring temperature conditions and provide workers with the ability to participate in the monitoring process; and

(iv) Demonstrate the proper use of personal protective equipment, such as hats, gloves, winter coats, cooling vests, sunscreen, and related protective equipment.

(c) The department of health shall create and implement an online public tutorial program, for supervisors and managers to recognize the signs of overexposure to hot and cold temperatures, such as injuries and illnesses caused by extreme temperatures, and ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is available, including hats, gloves, winter coats, cooling vests, and sunscreen, as appropriate for the extreme temperatures.

(d) For any employer to discharge employees or discriminate against them resulting from the failure of an employer to implement or perform any of the duties required by this section, shall be an unlawful employment practice, in addition to the provisions of § 28-5-7.

(e) The department of health may promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to implement and administer this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.