OSHA's Proposed Heat Rule Set for Publication

Washington — OSHA has issued a proposed rule on preventing heat-related illnesses.

The proposal will probably be published in the Federal Register in the coming days and a comment period will begin.

If finalized, the standard will require the development of a heat illness prevention plan. This plan must be in writing if the employer has 10 or more employees.

Employer requirements under the standard, or “initial heat trigger,” would take effect when the heat index in the work area reaches 80°F or the wet bulb temperature is “equal to the NIOSH recommended alert limit.”

These requirements include:

Monitoring heat stress in employees
Identify heat-related risks
Provision of water (1 litre per employee per hour) and rest areas
Interior work area controls
Acclimatization
Danger alerts
Maintenance of personal protective equipment against heat

Additional requirements, called “high heat triggers,” would go into effect when the heat index reaches 90°F or the WGBT equals the NIOSH recommended exposure limit. These requirements include a paid break of at least 15 minutes for employees every two hours and observation of employees for signs and symptoms of heat illness using:

A buddy system in which colleagues watch out for each other.
Observation by a supervisor or thermal safety coordinator – “with a maximum of 20 employees observed per supervisor or thermal safety coordinator”.
Two-way communication for isolated workers.

Employers should also post warning signs near indoor work areas where “ambient temperatures” regularly exceed 120°F.

“Across the country, workers are fainting, suffering from heat stroke and dying from heat exposure simply doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them,” OSHA Administrator Doug Parker said in a July 2 news release. “Today’s proposal is an important step in the process of gathering public comment to develop a ‘win-win’ final rule that protects workers while being practical and achievable for employers.”

The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reviewed the proposed rule from June 11 to July 1.

In May, OSHA’s Construction Safety and Health Advisory Committee unanimously approved the proposed rule. The proposal was also reviewed by a small business advocacy panel.