With summers getting warmer year after year, the stress on outdoors and indoor workers continues to rise with the temperatures.
Considering the extreme temperatures, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing a rule to protect workers from extreme heat.
According to a Department of Labor press release, heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. The proposed rule would require employers to develop injury and illness prevention plans to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. The rule is expected to cover 35 million workers.
Under the plan, employers would be required to evaluate heat risks and implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat and require plans to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to working in high heat conditions.
Among the suggested precautions is a proposal that requires 15-minute paid breaks for all employees when heat and humidity reach 90 degrees.
According to the Bureau of Labor, 479 U.S. workers died from exposure to environmental heat from 2011-2022. During that same time, almost 34,000 estimated work-related heat injuries and illnesses resulted in days away from work.
If approved, the regulation would not be final until at least 2026.
Dave Lubach is executive editor of the facilities market.
