Trump’s OSHA nominee linked to companies cited for deadly heat risks
A former safety executive at UPS and Amazon, now nominated to lead OSHA, oversaw operations during years when workers suffered heat-related illnesses and deaths while those companies lobbied against stronger heat protections.
Sam Pollak reports for The Lever.
In short:
- David Keeling, President Trump’s pick to lead OSHA, previously held top safety roles at UPS and Amazon, where hundreds of heat-related illnesses and several deaths occurred during his tenure.
- If confirmed, Keeling could halt a proposed federal rule to protect workers from extreme heat, a regulation fast-tracked by the Biden administration but now in jeopardy under Trump’s second term.
- Both UPS and Amazon have spent millions lobbying against heat safety regulations at federal and state levels, even as workers report dangerous heat exposures and inadequate protections.
Key quote:
“It would be nice to think that because Keeling spent so much time working at these companies and obviously saw just how dangerous heat can be, he would be ready to do something substantial. But there’s no reason to think that will be the case.”
— Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate, Public Citizen
Why this matters:
As climate change drives more frequent and severe heat waves, the risk to outdoor and warehouse workers continues to rise. Extreme heat is the leading weather-related killer in U.S. workplaces, yet regulatory protections lag dangerously behind. Without a binding federal standard, enforcement often fails to hold employers accountable, even after deaths occur. Many vulnerable workers — including delivery drivers, warehouse employees, agricultural laborers, and construction crews — face prolonged heat exposure with few safeguards. The problem disproportionately affects immigrants and people of color, compounding existing inequalities. Corporate resistance to heat rules, coupled with political shifts favoring deregulation, threatens to stall or reverse efforts to protect millions of workers.
Read more: Trump administration halts federal workplace heat protections
