OSHA Will Issue Federal Heat Standard for U.S. Workplaces 

September 22, 2021 by Alexa Hornbeck
OSHA Will Issue Federal Heat Standard for U.S. Workplaces 
Asphalt workers (Photo via Pixabay)

WASHINGTON — Extreme heat has played a role in worsening health outcomes, especially for minority communities and for construction and farm workers at risk of heat stroke. 

In response to rising temperatures due to climate change, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to issue a new rule on heat illness prevention for outdoor and indoor work settings on days when the heat index exceeds 80° F.  

On Monday, the White House announced that OSHA will implement a way to enforce heat-related hazards by developing a National Emphasis Program on heat inspections, and launching a rule making process for developing the workplace heat standard.  

OSHA’s enforcement initiative will encourage employers to implement intervention methods on heat priority days, such as regularly taking breaks for water, rest, shade, and training workers to identify common symptoms of heat-related illness and have a plan for how to respond.

Each year, thousands of workers experience heat-related illness in the workplaces, and in 2019 at least 2,410 workers suffered serious injuries and illnesses.  

The increase in heat is also leading to a loss in productivity and work hours resulting in wage losses for workers.  

An estimated $100 billion in economic losses from heat could double by 2030 and quintuple by 2050 under higher emissions scenarios, according to a report from the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.  

Aside from economic losses, the report also finds that extreme heat could cause nearly 60,000 excess deaths per year by 2050. 

Starting October 2021, OSHA will issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings. A comment period following the issue of notice will allow OSHA to gather perspectives from technical experts on heat stress thresholds, heat acclimatization planning, exposure monitoring and strategies to protect workers.  

The agency will also establish a national emphasis program for heat hazard cases by 2022 to target high-risk industries and focus on agency resources and staff time on heat inspections.  

A+
a-
  • federal heat standard
  • heat
  • OSHA
  • White House
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Employment

    Making Healthy Snacks a Habit When Afternoon Energy Slumps Strike at Work

    NEW YORK (AP) — When Claire Paré was a classroom teacher, working in a setting where every minute, down to... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — When Claire Paré was a classroom teacher, working in a setting where every minute, down to the bathroom breaks, was scheduled, she brought granola bars, fruit and protein shakes to school so she’d be prepared when hunger hits. Then she transitioned to a job... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Supreme Court Lifts Stay on Trump Effort to Slash Federal Workforce

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s order that had prevented the Trump administration from moving... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s order that had prevented the Trump administration from moving forward with planned mass layoffs and the dismantling of a number of federal agencies. In its unsigned ruling, the court said an executive order signed by... Read More

    US Employers Added 147,000 Jobs Last Month Despite Uncertainty Over Economic Policy

    (AP) — U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite... Read More

    (AP) — U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday. Hiring rose modestly from... Read More

    How to Manage ADHD at Work and Turn It Into a Strength

    NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Didier had taken her son to a psychologist for a possible ADHD evaluation when she spotted an... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Didier had taken her son to a psychologist for a possible ADHD evaluation when she spotted an article about women with the condition. As she read it in the waiting room, she thought to herself: They're describing me. “Lots of risk-taking, lots of... Read More

    Fewer Americans Sought Unemployment Benefits Last Week as Layoffs Remain Low

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, a sign... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, a sign that companies aren’t cutting many jobs. Jobless claims for the week ended June 21 dropped 10,000 to 236,000, a historically-low level. The four-week average of claims,... Read More

    Wall Street Gains Ground Following a Solid Jobs Report

    NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose on Wall Street Friday following a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market. The... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose on Wall Street Friday following a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market. The S&P 500 index rose 1.2% in morning trading. The benchmark index remains on track to notch a second consecutive winning week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top