On August 30, 2024, OSHA’s proposed rule on heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor settings was published in the Federal Register, officially starting the comment period.
OSHA’s proposed a rule would require employers to develop programs to protect their employees from heat hazards in both the outdoor and indoor work environments.
The proposed rule…
- Would apply broadly to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work activities in general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture (where OSHA has jurisdiction).
- Is a programmatic standard that would require employers to evaluate their workplaces and implement controls to mitigate employee exposures though engineering and administrative controls, training, effective communication and other measures.
- Includes initial and high heat triggers at the 80- and 90-degree levels, which would require increasingly stringent control measures to protect employees.
- Includes certain exemptions, including short-duration exposures, emergency response activities, and workplaces that are kept below 80 degrees.
The proposed rule also was the subject of a Small Business Advocacy Review panel in 2023 (see the Heat Injury and Illness SBREFA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)).
Comments on OSHA’s proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule are due by December 30, 2024.