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OSHA released its proposed rule on “Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.” The text of the rule is available here.
?OSHA has also provided additional materials on its website on the rulemaking.
OSHA would adopt two heat index thresholds that would apply nationally and would factor in humidity as well as temperature. One, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, would require employers to provide drinking water and break areas that workers can use as needed. Employers would also need to have a plan for new and returning workers to gradually increase their workload, so their bodies adjust to the heat.
More protections would kick in at 90 degrees, including monitoring for signs of heat illness and mandatory 15-minute rest breaks every two hours. Employers would be required to check on people working alone every few hours and to issue a hazard alert, reminding their workers of the importance of staying hydrated.
The proposed rules would not cover workers who are only briefly exposed to high temperatures — such as traveling outdoors between buildings — or where the nature of the job makes such protections infeasible, including emergency response.
Employers covered by the rule will have to designate a heat safety coordinator and evaluate their heat safety plans every year.
They will also have to monitor workers’ exposure, such as by tracking heat index or using a measure called the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature — a tool that incorporates temperature, humidity, wind and other factors to assess potential heat stress. Minnesota uses the tool as part of safety standards for indoor workers, and several states use heat index to protect those working outside.
OSHA’s proposal layers on four additional precautions when the heat index reaches beyond 90 degrees. They include mandatory 15-minute rest breaks for all employees every two hours, observing employees for symptoms, periodic check-ins with isolated workers and reminders to workers to rest and drink water.
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