OSHA is issuing a proposed rule entitled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. This is a significant step toward a federal heat standard to protect workers. The proposed standard would apply to all employers requiring work to be conducted outdoor and/or indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors.
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Excessive workplace heat can lead to heat stroke and even death. While heat hazards impact workers in many industries, workers of color have a higher likelihood of working in jobs with hazardous heat exposure.
The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. The goal of the plan is to prevent and reduce the number of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused by exposure to hazardous heat. Among other things, the plan would require employers to evaluate heat risks and when heat increases risks to workers. As a result the plan is required to implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat. It would also require a plan to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to working in high heat conditions.
Employers would also be required to provide training, have procedures to respond if a worker is experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat-related illness, and take immediate action to help a worker experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat emergency.
The agency continues to conduct heat-related inspections. The program inspects workplaces with the highest exposures to heat-related hazards proactively to prevent workers from suffering injury, illness or death needlessly.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor has released a proposed rule with the goal of protecting workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat. If finalized, the proposed rule would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazardous heat exposure that, sadly, are most often preventable.
Why is this important to our clients?
Some of our clients have existing working conditions that are impacted by heat and extreme weather conditions. TMC can assist these clients in developing a prevention plan to address heat hazards in the workplace.
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