What new OSHA rules apply to small businesses in 2026?

OSHA's 2026 small-business agenda centers on a few high-impact rules. The Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule (NPRM published July 2024) would require employers in many outdoor and indoor heat-exposed industries — construction, agriculture, warehousing, kitchens, manufacturing — to implement heat-illness prevention plans, water and shade provisions, acclimatization protocols, and training. Final rule timing depends on the current administration.

The Walkaround rule, effective May 2024, allows employees to designate a non-employee representative (including union staff) to accompany OSHA inspectors during workplace inspections — affects every covered employer.

Industry-specific updates include the silica enforcement program (construction and stone fabrication), updated PPE-fit rules in construction (effective January 2025), and continued attention to workplace violence in healthcare settings.

Small-business reminders: employers with 10 or fewer employees in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from routine recordkeeping (OSHA 300 logs) but still must report fatalities and severe injuries. The Form 300A annual summary must be posted February 1 through April 30 each year. State-plan states (CA, WA, OR, NY public sector, others) often adopt stricter rules and faster timelines than federal OSHA — check Cal/OSHA, WISHA, and Oregon OSHA directly.