Virginia’s Heat Illness Prevention Standard

Virginia’s Heat Illness Prevention Standard

Virginia is developing a workplace safety standard to help protect workers from heat illness in both indoor and outdoor workplaces.

The 2026 General Assembly enacted legislation requiring the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt a Heat Illness Prevention Standard by May 1, 2028. The standard will establish requirements for employers to help prevent heat-related illness, including providing drinking water, access to shade or climate-controlled areas when practicable, rest breaks, acclimatization, employee training, emergency response procedures, and additional protections during high-heat conditions. (§ 40.1-44.2. Standards for heat illness prevention)

Developing the Standard

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI), under the direction of the Safety and Health Codes Board, is developing the proposed standard through Virginia’s regulatory process. As part of this process, the Department is gathering technical information, stakeholder perspectives, and public input to help inform the proposed regulation.
There will be multiple opportunities for public participation throughout the rulemaking process. One such opportunity is to participate in a Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP), which will provide technical input as DOLI develops the proposed standard.

What is a Regulatory Advisory Panel?

A RAP is one way DOLI gathers input while developing a regulation. It provides an opportunity for individuals with different experiences and perspectives to discuss key issues, identify practical considerations, and provide feedback on potential regulatory approaches.

The RAP is advisory. Its discussions and recommendations will help inform DOLI’s development of a proposed Heat Illness Prevention Standard for consideration by the Safety and Health Codes Board.

Who is Participating?

The 28-member panel brings together workers and organized labor, employers, industry and trade associations, worker advocates, public-sector representatives, and individuals with occupational safety and health, health care, academic, and technical expertise. Participants represent a variety of industries with both indoor and outdoor work environments, providing diverse perspectives to help DOLI consider how potential requirements may function in practice.

Bringing these different experiences to the same table will help the RAP consider how potential requirements may work in practice across Virginia’s diverse workplaces.

NAME	OCCUPATION or ROLE	ASSSOCIATION or ORGANIZATION	INDUSTRY/SECTOR
Rachel Henley	Working Lands & State Advocacy Specialist	Virginia Farm Bureau	Agriculture Forestry
Rachel McFarland	Attorney	Legal Aid Justice Center	Agriculture Migrant Worker protections
Brad Copenhaver	Director	Lindl Corporation Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association	Agriculture Family and commercial farms Wholesale and retail nurseries Landscaping contractors Agribusiness
Trey Davis	President and CEO	Virginia Agribusiness Council	Agriculture Forestry Urban agriculture business (landscapers, lawn care, golf courses)
Benjamin Packett	Health, Safety, Security & Environmental (HSSE) Manager	Omega Proteins, Inc	Commercial fishing Seafood processing Maritime operations
Travis Parsons	Director of Occupational Safety & Health	Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA!) Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America	Construction
Danny Minnix	Senior Vice President of Safety	Branch Group – Construction	Construction
Noah Schwartz	Senior Safety Coordinator	Southland Industries	Construction – mechanical and heavy civil HVAC and plumbing services
Gordon Dixon	Executive Vice President	Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA)	Construction and Mining – Transportation Construction Aggregate mining
Antwyne Calloway	Organizer/Community Advocate	International Union of Painters and Allied Trades: IUPAT District Council 53	Construction Skilled finishing trades
Austyn Walker	Advocacy Coordinator	Centreville Immigration Forum	Day labor work Worker protections
Audra Lucas	Senior Associate	American Federation of Teacher, AFT	Education
Laura Duckworth	Director of Occupational Programs	University of Virginia	Higher education
Tommy Herbert	Director of Government Affairs	Virginia Restaurant and Lodging Association(VRLTA)	Hospitality and tourism
Kayla Flowers	Health and Safety Specialist – Industrial Hygienist	United Steelworkers (USW)	Manufacturing and industrial operations
Stacie Gordon	Government Relations Director	Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA)	Manufacturing and trade
Roxana Chicas	Associate Professor	Emory University	Occupational Health Research
Regis Brett	Bus Driver	Public School Transportation	Public schools/transportation
Gavin Driscoll	Senior Health & Safety Advocate	American Federation of State, County Municipal Employees (AFSCME)	Public sector
Matt Phillips	Safety & Risk Manager	Hanover County	Public sector – local government
Charles Craddock	President	Communications Workers of America (CWA) 2201	Telecommunications
Deb Yenser	Director of Environmental, Health & Safety	ComCast	Telecommunications and technology
Cynthia Lyon	Director of Operations	Busch Gardens of Williamsburg	Tourism Outdoor recreation
Richard Hobbs-Fernie	Business Agent	Teamsters Local Union 822	Transportation Warehousing
Frances Mensah	Industrial Hygienist	International Brotherhood of Teamsters	Transportation Logistics Manufacturing
Aishah Johnson	Workers’ Health and Safety Advocate	Public Citizen	Worker protections
Charlotte Brody	Vice President, Occupational & Environmental Health	BlueGreen Alliance	Worker protections
Ramon Zepeda Ramos	Economic Justice Organizer	Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy	Worker protections

Follow the RAP Meetings

The RAP meetings will be open to the public and held virtually through Microsoft Teams. DOLI anticipates holding three virtual meetings, each approximately four hours long.

Members of the public are welcome to follow the discussion and hear directly from panelists as they work through important issues related to protecting workers from heat illness. There will also be opportunities for public comment at the end of each meeting.

Meeting Dates

All meetings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams at the following times, Eastern Time:

• October 29, 2026: 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
• November 12, 2026: 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

In addition, you can find the meeting notices posted on The Virginia Regulatory Town Hall  and the Commonwealth Calendar.

Former Meetings

October 15, 2026

Your Voice is Important

You do not have to be a RAP member to follow the process or share your perspective.

The RAP is one part of a broader public regulatory process. DOLI welcomes information and feedback from workers, employers, organizations, safety and health professionals, and other interested members of the public as development of the proposed standard continues. To provide any comments or feedback on the heat illness prevention standard, please email: Cristin.Bernhardt@doli.virginia.gov.