The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is launching a rulemaking process to begin developing a heat standard for worksites.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is launching a rulemaking process to begin developing a heat standard for worksites.
The standard will apply to both indoor and outdoor worksites. OSHA Area Directors will begin prioritizing inspections of heat-related complaints, referrals and employer-reported illnesses.
The initiative follows a call to action from President Biden, who said he would begin mobilizing an “all-of-government effort” to protect workers from extreme heat.
In 2019, 43 workers died from heat illness, and at least 2,410 suffered serious injuries and illnesses from heat, according to OSHA.
“Amid changing climate, the growing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing the dangers workers face, especially for workers of color who disproportionately work in essential jobs in tough conditions,” stated U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. “My priority is to make sure we are taking appropriate action to keep workers healthy and safe on the job.”
OSHA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on heat injury and illness is slated for an October 2021 release. The notice will go through a comment period before becoming an OSHA workplace standard.