OSHA has released its 2025 enforcement priorities, and organizations across all industries should prepare for heightened regulatory attention on heat illness prevention, workplace violence, and high-hazard operational risks. These areas reflect national trends in worker injuries and emerging occupational hazards, and they signal a shift toward more proactive and targeted compliance expectations for employers.
Heat illness prevention will be one of OSHA’s most visible enforcement initiatives in 2025. Rising temperatures across the country continue to impact both indoor and outdoor work environments, increasing the risk of heat stress, heat stroke, and other temperature-related illnesses. OSHA is expected to intensify inspections in industries such as construction, agriculture, warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, landscaping, and utilities. Agencies will look closely at whether employers are monitoring environmental conditions, ensuring proper hydration, establishing acclimatization protocols for new and returning workers, and training employees on recognizing signs of heat-related illness. Organizations that fail to implement a comprehensive heat stress prevention plan may face elevated inspection risk or citations.
Workplace violence prevention is also a major focus for 2025, especially within healthcare, social services, retail, hospitality, education, and any public-facing environments. OSHA continues to emphasize that workplace violence is a preventable occupational hazard and expects employers to take proactive steps to assess risks, implement engineering controls, develop response procedures, and train staff. Inspections will increasingly evaluate whether organizations maintain accurate incident logs, have addressed previous incidents, and provide employees with the tools to recognize escalating behaviors. Employers with repeated episodes of violence or inadequate safeguards may be subject to targeted enforcement.
High-hazard industries such as chemical processing, manufacturing, waste management, energy, and heavy construction, will remain central to OSHA’s oversight efforts. Through programs like the Site-Specific Targeting (SST) initiative and National Emphasis Programs (NEPs), OSHA will continue directing inspections based on injury and illness rates, historical violations, and inherent operational risks. Common areas of focus include machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, fall protection controls, electrical hazards, chemical exposures, confined space entry, and recordkeeping accuracy. Employers in these sectors should expect OSHA to place greater emphasis on the quality and implementation of written programs, training documentation, and corrective action processes.
To prepare for OSHA’s 2025 enforcement strategy, organizations should conduct audits that specifically address the new priority areas. This includes evaluating heat exposure risks across all work environments, reviewing workplace violence response plans, and strengthening hazard assessments within high-risk operations. Employers should also ensure that training programs are up-to-date, communication systems are effective, and near-miss reporting processes are being used consistently to identify and resolve hazards before incidents occur. A proactive approach helps minimize regulatory vulnerabilities and demonstrates a strong commitment to worker safety.
Ultimately, OSHA’s 2025 priorities highlight the importance of continuous improvement in organizational health and safety practices. Companies that invest in prevention, employee engagement, and risk-based decision-making will be well-positioned to navigate the coming year. By aligning operations with OSHA’s focus areas now, employers can reduce injuries, strengthen compliance performance, and cultivate a resilient safety culture that protects workers across every industry.
