This article comes from NGFA's July 28 newsletter.
More than 110 members of the House and Senate signed a July 24 letter urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish an enforceable federal standard to ensure that workers and employers could recognize and respond to the signs of heat stress.
In their request to Acting U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su and Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, lawmakers said a standard should require adequate hydration; rest breaks; areas for rest breaks that are shaded (in the case of outdoor work) or air-conditioned (in the case of indoor work); medical services and training to address signs and symptoms of heat-related illness; and a plan for acclimatization to high-heat work conditions.
“This summer will be particularly dangerous for both public and private sector American workers exposed to heat,” the lawmakers said.
“The crisis demands immediate action if we are to accomplish our shared goals of saving lives and prioritizing worker safety and dignity.”
OSHA initiated the development of a heat standard by issuing an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking in October 2021. In comments submitted to the agency in January 2022, NGFA noted that imposing a federal standard would be “unnecessary, unworkable, and impractical” given that health and underlying factors that contribute to heat stress vary by employee.
“Further, an employer with workers who could be exposed to hot environments already is required to establish a heat illness prevention program to satisfy OSHA,” NGFA noted.
Meanwhile, the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) on May 31 of this year unanimously voted to accept its heat working group’s recommendations on potential elements of a heat injury and illness prevention standard. The committee also approved an amendment to include a model or sample Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan in the proposed standard.
On June 22, OSHA officially launched the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) process by inviting small business owners and local governments to share input on a potential heat standard to protect indoor and outdoor workers. Brian Corderman, safety and compliance manager at Triangle Cooperative Service Company and member of NGFA’s Safety, Health and Environmental Quality Committee, will serve on the SBREFA panel.
Apart from the rulemaking, in April 2022 OSHA launched a National Emphasis Program on heat inspections and an enforcement initiative on heat-related hazards.
Heat Hazard Alert: OSHA issued its first-ever hazard alert for heat this week, indicating it would increase inspections in high-risk industries. “The agency is planning enhanced enforcement actions, with a strategic focus on geographic locations and industries where high heat impacts vulnerable worker populations,” states the July 27 alert. “This means more inspection activity as well as a broader use of enforcement tools, especially where workers are in clear danger.”
OSHA has raised awareness of the dangers associated with working in extreme temperatures since 2011 through its Heat Illness Prevention campaign. Several videos on OSHA’s heat-related actions are available here.