OSHA Seeks Feedback on New Workplace Heat Standard to Protect Workers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking feedback from small businesses and local government on a new heat standard to protect indoor and outdoor workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses.
In October 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. OSHA is currently developing a new standard for workplaces that will apply to general industry and the construction, maritime, and agriculture industries to prevent heat-related illness and injuries and OSHA is preparing to launch a heat illness prevention campaign to educate employers and workers about the dangers of working in the heat.
The United States is experiencing rising temperatures and hazards associated with high workplace temperatures are increasing. Illnesses and injuries from exposure to high temperatures are preventable, yet each year, thousands of workers suffer from heat-related illnesses, which in some cases can be fatal.
OSHA will be hosting a series of Small Business Advocacy Review Panel meetings this summer that will be attended by representatives of OSHA, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, and the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
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OSHA is seeking feedback from small businesses and local governments on the potential impacts of a new workplace heat standard and is especially interested in receiving feedback from industries that are likely to be most impacted by the heat standard, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping, manufacturing, oil and gas, warehousing, waste management, utilities, and food service, specifically restaurant kitchens.
The review panel meetings will provide businesses with an opportunity to share their current practices for protecting workers from heat-related illnesses and injuries and will allow them to discuss how a new heat standard would impact workplace operations and local business communities. The feedback gathered will inform the development of the new heat standard.
Further information:
How to participate in the OSHA Heat Standard Review Panel Meetings
