August 12, 2024
How OSHA’s New Heat Rule Impacts Employers
Attorneys urge employers to use it as a general model for their own practices.
In the midst of a series of record heat waves throughout the United States this summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed indoor and outdoor workplace regulations aimed at combating heat illnesses and injuries that occur among the nation’s workforce.
Although these rules are not yet in effect and the proposal may not survive in its current form, the agency has been making the issue a priority for quite a while, focusing special attention on it under its current regulatory regime. In 2022, OSHA launched a National Emphasis Program (NEP) targeting heat-related problems at various workplaces across the country in a wide range of more than 70 specified industries, including general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture.
In the absence of a formal rule being in place, the agency