OSHA has had a National Emphasis Program on heat safety since April 2022, but the proposed rule would be an enforceable guideline, as opposed to general suggestions — such as the credo “water, rest, shade” — for helping protect workers from heat illness and injury. This April, the standard cleared a hurdle when the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health unanimously recommended the agency “move forward expeditiously” on a notice of proposed rulemaking.
Under the proposed rule, the Heat Injury and Illness Plan must address how a company will adequately monitor the environment to determine if high heat becomes hazardous for work, using a measure such as heat index or wet bulb globe temperature.
