The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Tuesday announced a National Emphasis Program (NEP) focused on indoor and outdoor heat hazards.
The NEP will include inspections in 70 industries OSHA determines to be “high-risk.” The inspections will take place in indoor and outdoor work settings when the National Weather Service has issued a heat warning or advisory for a local area. On days when the heat index is 80 F or higher, OSHA inspectors and compliance assistance specialists will engage in proactive outreach and technical assistance to protect workers.
OSHA’s area offices will conduct outreach to unions, employers in target industries, and other organizations as a part of the NEP.
OSHA will hold a public stakeholder meeting on May 3, 2022, to discuss OSHA’s ongoing heat-related work, including the Heat Illness Prevention Campaign. Registration for the meeting can be found here.
A fact sheet on the NEP can be found here.
OSHA noted in its press release that it continues “long-term work to establish a heat illness prevention rule.”
