Officials in New Mexico are advancing new workplace safety rules that would require employers to protect workers from heat-related illnesses as temperatures continue to rise.
In short:
- The New Mexico Environment Department has proposed heat safety rules that would require employers to provide rest breaks, shade, drinking water, emergency care access, and training for indoor and outdoor workers when temperatures climb.
- The rule would apply when the heat index exceeds 80°F, with stricter measures required above 95°F; it excludes teleworkers, emergency personnel, and workplaces kept consistently below the threshold.
- Without federal heat safety standards — paused under the Trump administration — New Mexico joins six other states taking independent action amid rising ER visits for heat stress.
Key quote:
“When we look at the data, especially the New Mexico specific data, the overwhelming number of people that experienced heat-related illness are people of working age, which we know really points to the risk people face and their jobs.”
— Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, founding board member of Healthy Climate New Mexico
Why this matters:
The health consequences go far beyond temporary discomfort: Heat stress can lead to health conditions like kidney failure, cognitive impairments, cardiovascular strain, and, in some cases, death. Emergency rooms are seeing the toll firsthand, with increasing visits linked to heat-related illnesses, especially among low-wage workers who lack the power or protection to push back. With no binding federal heat standards in place, the burden is shifting to states, where the policy response is fragmented at best.
Related: Trump administration halts federal workplace heat protections
