The Industrial Commission of Arizona voted last week to adopt strengthened workplace heat safety guidelines for employers statewide, delivering an outcome the business community called a practical, Arizona-driven solution to a genuine challenge.
The commission’s action follows nearly a year of work by the Governor’s Workplace Heat Safety Task Force, which brought together business, labor, and occupational safety experts to develop guidance grounded in real-world conditions. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council participated throughout that process, with Grace Appelbe representing both organizations.
Appearing before the commission, Appelbe urged members to support the task force recommendations, describing them as the product of genuine collaboration and the right fit for the state’s diverse economic landscape.
“The recommendations before you reflect a thoughtful, Arizona-specific approach grounded in real-world experience,” Appelbe told the commission. “They focus on practical measures — water, shade, rest, acclimatization, and training — while preserving the flexibility needed across different industries and job sites.”
The guidelines adopted by the commission build on the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s existing Heat Stress State Emphasis Program, launched in 2023. In the months ahead, the commission will expand employer training on heat risks, encourage the development of workplace heat safety plans, and collect data on the effectiveness of heat safety interventions across the state. Commissioners plan to revisit the recommendations in December.
For Arizona’s business community, the outcome reflects a broader principle that worker safety and economic sustainability are not in conflict — but that the path to both runs through collaboration rather than mandate.
“That balance is critical,” Appelbe said in her testimony. “In other states, more rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates have created compliance challenges without necessarily improving outcomes. Arizona has taken a better approach — one that prioritizes safety while recognizing operational realities.”
The commission’s chairman described the vote as a beginning rather than an endpoint, noting that guidelines carry the advantage of taking effect immediately, allowing employers to act now while the state continues gathering data to inform any future rulemaking.
Appelbe told the commission that the Arizona Chamber and Manufacturers Council are prepared to be active partners in what comes next. “We stand ready to work with the Commission and its staff on the distribution and implementation of these employer guidelines to ensure Arizona’s workers are informed and protected,” she said.
The Arizona Chamber and Manufacturers Council have been engaged in the heat safety conversation since the task force was convened by executive order in 2025. Appelbe said the business community’s consistent goal throughout has been to ensure that any guidance coming out of the process works in actual workplaces — across manufacturing floors, construction sites, agricultural operations, and the full range of industries that make up Arizona’s economy.
