Nevada's Heat Illness Rule: What Las Vegas Contractors Need
Las Vegas roofers, framers, landscapers and solar crews work through some of the hottest summers in the country, and Nevada now has a written rule for it. Nevada OSHA began full enforcement of its heat illness regulation on April 29, 2025, and updated its guidance in May 2026. This guide explains the rule in plain English, then shows how a contractor can turn good heat safety into recruiting and marketing content.
What the rule is
The regulation is R131-24AP, adopted under NRS 618.383 and administered by Nevada OSHA, part of the Division of Industrial Relations. Full enforcement began on April 29, 2025. It applies to private employers and state and local government employers in Nevada, not federal employers.
Employers with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from the specific written requirements, but Nevada OSHA is clear that every employer still has a general duty to protect workers from recognized hazards, and in Southern Nevada heat is one of them.
Who has to do what
| Requirement | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Employers with more than 10 employees | NRS 618.383, R131-24AP |
| Job hazard analysis | One time, before the task starts, for job classes where most workers have heat exposure over 30 minutes in any 60 minutes (excluding breaks) | R131-24AP Section 5 |
| How to assess | Without counting access to water, rest or shade | Nevada OSHA guidance, May 2026 |
| When to redo it | When a task materially changes, and after an accident | R131-24AP Section 5, NAC 618.540 |
| Written program | Required when the analysis finds heat illness hazards | R131-24AP Section 6 |
| Training | Before the work, for exposed employees and the designated person | R131-24AP Section 7 |
| Records | Keep the analysis in writing, even when no hazard is found | Nevada OSHA guidance |
What goes in the written plan
Nevada OSHA suggests keeping these items together as a separate chapter of your safety program, for example a "Heat Illness Prevention Plan." The regulation lists:
- Potable water, provided under the federal construction standard for drinking water.
- Rest breaks for any employee showing signs or symptoms of heat illness.
- A means of cooling for employees, such as shade, fans or air conditioned space.
- Monitoring of heat conditions, to the extent practicable, by a person you designate.
- Identifying and reducing work processes that add heat or humidity.
- Training on recognizing heat illness and the procedures that reduce the risk.
- Emergency procedures: who calls emergency services, how to give the job site location and how to get a sick worker to care.
Heat priority days: 90°F and above
Nevada OSHA defines a heat priority day as any day when the temperature reaches or exceeds 90°F. On those days it coordinates outreach and inspects or investigates all heat complaints, regardless of industry. In Las Vegas that covers most of the year from late spring into fall. Our guide to the best time to film outdoors in Las Vegas lists the National Weather Service normals for every month.
Recommended practices worth adopting
These are recommendations in Nevada OSHA's guidance rather than hard rules, but they are what a well run crew does anyway:
- Acclimatize new workers. Start at about 20 percent of the normal workload and time in the heat, and build up over 7 to 14 days. Workers returning after three or more days away start at about 50 percent.
- Use the tools. The OSHA heat calculator, the NIOSH heat safety app and National Weather Service forecasts all help plan the day.
- Train supervisors as well as crews, and refresh training each season even though annual retraining is not required.
- Get free help. Nevada's Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) offers free consultations at 877-472-3368.
Turn heat safety into marketing
Homeowners and general contractors notice crews that look organized. Hiring managers notice too. Good heat safety is visible, which makes it great content:
| Clip | What it shows | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise start | The crew on site at first light, working the cool hours | Instagram Reels, Facebook, recruiting ads |
| Water and shade setup | Cooler, canopy and a break area on a real job | Careers page, Google profile |
| Supervisor check in | A foreman walking the crew through the day's heat plan | Recruiting video, LinkedIn |
| Owner intro | Why the company plans around heat | Website, proposals to general contractors |
For Las Vegas shoots, we schedule outdoor filming around the same cool hours your crew works, so the footage looks good and nobody is standing on a roof at 2 PM in July. See Las Vegas contractor marketing and Las Vegas roofing video marketing.
Video narration
Read what the video says
Contractors in Las Vegas, Nevada has a heat rule now. Here's what it asks of you.
If you have more than ten employees, you need a one time job hazard analysis for heat. It covers work where people are exposed for more than thirty minutes in any hour.
If heat is a hazard, you need a written plan. Water, rest for anyone showing symptoms, a way to cool down, and training.
And watch for ninety degree days.
On those days, Nevada OSHA treats heat as a priority, and looks into every heat complaint. So name a person to watch conditions and call for help fast.
Then show your crew working safe in your videos. The full guide is at Picture Perfect Video dot com.
Common questions
Does Nevada have a heat illness law for employers?
Yes. Nevada OSHA's heat illness regulation, R131-24AP, has been fully enforced since April 29, 2025. Employers with more than 10 employees must complete a job hazard analysis for heat and, if hazards exist, a written safety program.
Which jobs need a heat job hazard analysis in Nevada?
Job classifications where most employees are exposed to heat for more than 30 minutes in any 60 minute period, not counting breaks.
What must a Nevada heat illness prevention plan include?
Potable water, rest breaks for employees with symptoms, a means of cooling, monitoring by a designated person, reducing heat generating work processes, training and emergency procedures.
What is a heat priority day in Nevada?
Any day when the temperature reaches or exceeds 90°F. On those days Nevada OSHA coordinates outreach and investigates all heat complaints.
Do small contractors have to follow the Nevada heat rule?
Employers with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from the specific written requirements, but they still have a general duty to protect workers from recognized hazards such as heat.
Show your crew working safe.
We film Las Vegas crews in the cool hours and turn it into recruiting videos, ads and Google profile clips.
Book a free callOr email charles@pictureperfectvideo.com · call or text 945-212-2522
Related reading
Sources checked October 21, 2026: Nevada Department of Business and Industry: heat regulation enforcement begins April 29, 2025; Nevada OSHA updated heat illness prevention guidance, May 21, 2026. This is general information, not legal or safety compliance advice. Confirm your obligations with Nevada OSHA or SCATS.