Member DashboardAction escalating on worker protections from extreme heat
H.R. 443 and S. 2298 – both known as the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 – call for a federal law to create an occupational safety and health standard to protect workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses. Also, California’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment rule went into effect July 23. And OSHA held virtual hearing in June and July about its proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.
States launching/considering EPR programs
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) efforts hold producers responsible for the lifecycle of their products. Multiple states have approved EPR compliance plans, thus far primarily focused on packaging such as plastics, paper and single-use products and others are considering similar programs. As this issue is expected to intensify, NAFEM’s legal counsel provided an overview.
Oregon and Minnesota are the first states to require producers to join Producer Responsibility Organizations (PRO) to help fund recovery of packaged items, foodservice wares, certain types of equipment, and plastic or paper products, although the two states’ laws are written somewhat differently. In addition, CO is taking comments on its circular EPR program through Sept. 14. The program focuses on consumer packaging but also references foodservice packaging materials.
In 2022, Quebec formed the Commercial Appliance Recovery Society (SORAC), a PRO focused primarily on recovery and recycling of refrigeration and freezer equipment. SORAC is funded by manufacturers and others, and its 2026 goal is to recover at least 35% of commercial refrigeration and freezing appliances in the province.