New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order No. 17, which directs the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYCEM and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to develop and distribute multilingual heat safety guidance for outdoor workers as soon as practicable this year.

The guidance will require best practices to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths for employers and outdoor and indoor workers. This guidance would apply to all workers, including, but not limited to, employees, independent contractors, gig workers, and day laborers.

Additionally, the order requires:

• Reviews of heat protections for construction workers to determine if further changes are necessary
• The development of heat protections for municipal workers
• A review of claims filed with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board by City employees to understand patterns related to temperature, including excess risk during hot weather
• Guidance for indoor workers by March 1, 2027
• And more