PHOENIX — Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order Thursday creating a statewide task force focused on protecting workers from extreme heat, as Arizona heads into another scorching summer.
Executive Order 2025-09 establishes the Workplace Heat Safety Task Force under the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH). The task force will include business leaders, public officials, worker advocates, and safety experts, and will be tasked with drafting new heat safety guidelines for employers.
The group’s recommendations, due by December 31, 2025, will build on ADOSH’s existing Heat State Emphasis Program (SEP), which promotes the use of water, rest, and shade to prevent heat illness on the job.
“Arizona has been a national leader in preparing for extreme heat,” Hobbs said, pointing to past initiatives such as the creation of the state’s first Chief Heat Officer and the launch of a statewide Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan in 2023.
Since the Heat SEP’s rollout, ADOSH has conducted nearly 470 free consultations with businesses to improve on-the-job heat safety practices. Officials said many Arizona employers already exceed basic standards, helping to keep workers safe while improving employee retention and productivity.
The task force’s final guidelines must be approved by the bipartisan Industrial Commission of Arizona, which oversees ADOSH.
The executive order also directs ADOSH to launch a new recognition program to honor companies that go above and beyond in protecting workers from heat-related hazards.
Hobbs emphasized that the order does not create new legal rights or rules, but is intended to promote voluntary, proactive workplace safety amid rising temperatures across the state.
