OSHA Announces Enhanced Heat Measures to Protect Workers

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced new measures to expand heat protections and inspections as part of a White House interagency effort to enhance workplace safety and address disproportionate heat impacts.

OSHA announced a new enforcement initiative that prioritizes heat related interventions and workplace inspections on days the heat index exceeds 80 degrees. On these days, Area Directors will dedicate additional resources in responding to heat related complaints and perform more programmed and unprogrammed inspections to address heat hazards. The agency is also working to develop a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat hazard cases that will target high-risk industries. OSHA hopes to complete the extensive data review NEPs require in a timely manner so it can take effect before the summer 2022 heat season.

The agency will also form a Heat Illness Prevention Work Group to provide better understanding of challenges and best practices to protect workers from heat hazards. The group will operate within OSHA’s National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) and include a public representative, a labor representative, and a management representative among other members from a range of sectors and industries. The group will convene periodically to discuss heat emergency response plans, worker training and engagement, and other topics related to the identification, monitoring, and response to workplace heat hazards.

The new announcement builds upon a previously reported rulemaking process to develop an indoor and outdoor heat standard in the workplace. The proposed rule will publish next month and invite comment on heat stress thresholds, heat acclimatization planning, and exposure monitoring among other issues.

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