Update on Proposed Osha Heat Illness Prevention Rule
OSHA issued its proposed rule for Heat Injury Prevention on July 2, 2024, allowing for comments over the next 120 days and any legal challenges with a possible final rule going into effect sometime in 2025. Below are some highlights from the rule.
Heat Hazard Identification and Assessment
Employers will conduct Regular Heat Risk Assessments. This means evaluating the potential for heat exposure in various job roles and settings including identifying high-risk areas and tasks, especially during peak heat periods.
Employers will monitor Workplace Temperatures continuously for temperature and humidity levels (components of the Heat Index calculation), particularly during of “extreme” heat.
Preventive Measures
Hydration: Employers will provide workers with accessible drinking water at all times and encourage regular hydration.
Rest Breaks: The rule will require implementation of scheduled rest breaks in cool or shaded areas. The frequency and duration of these breaks will need to increase with rising temperatures.
Shade or Cooling Areas: Cool or shaded rest areas will have to be available for workers and be sufficiently close to the worksite to allow for quick access.
Training and Education
Heat Safety Training: Employer will be required to train workers and supervisors about the dangers of heat-related illnesses, the symptoms, and the importance of preventive measures. It should include recognition of the early signs of heat stress and first-aid responses.
Acclimatization: New and returning workers must be allowed to gradually increased workloads and exposure time to build up a worker’s tolerance to heat.
Emergency Planning and Response
Heat Illness Prevention Plan: The rule would require employers with more than 10 workers to develop a written Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan, including site-specific information to evaluate and control heat hazards in your workplace. Plan effectiveness must be evaluated whenever a heat-related injury occurs that results in death, days away from work, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness, or at least annually.
Emergency Medical Response: Employers will have to develop a Heat Emergency Response Plan and ensure that supervisors and workers are trained to respond effectively, including providing first aid and contacting emergency services.
Recordkeeping and Reporting
Employers must maintain Indoor Monitoring Data for a minimum six months.
They will also have to create Incident Reporting Processes, maintain detailed records of heat-related incidents, and near-misses.
Conduct Regular Audits: Regular safety audits will have to include heat safety measures and overall compliance with the new standards.
Additional Requirements for High-risk Industries
Specific industries, such as agriculture and construction, face higher risks of heat exposure and could see additional requirements and safeguards under the new rule.
