On October 27, 2021, OSHA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings in the Federal Register. With this publication, OSHA has begun the rulemaking process to consider a heat-specific workplace standard. A standard specific to heat-related injury and illness prevention would more clearly set forth employer obligations and the measures necessary to more effectively protect employees from hazardous heat. The ultimate goal is to prevent and reduce the number of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused by exposure to hazardous heat. The comment period closed on January 26, 2022. OSHA received 965 unique comments from stakeholders, which are available at www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2021-0009-0001.
Current Status: OSHA concluded the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) process on November 3, 2023. This step in the rulemaking process included the convening of a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel to gain input from small entity representatives (SERs) on the potential impacts of a heat-specific standard. More information on the Heat Injury and Illness SBREFA can be found at: www.osha.gov/heat/sbrefa.
SERIOUSNESS
Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related phenomena in the United States. Excessive heat exacerbates existing health conditions like asthma, kidney failure, and heart disease, and can cause heat stroke and even death if not treated properly and promptly. Although illness from exposure to heat is preventable, every year, thousands become sick from occupational heat exposure, and some cases are fatal. Most outdoor fatalities, 50% to 70%, occur in the first few days of working in warm or hot environments because the body needs to build a tolerance to the heat gradually over time. The process of building tolerance is called heat acclimatization. Lack of acclimatization represents a major risk factor for fatal outcomes.
WHAT IS A HEAT RELATED ILLNESS?
Heat stress occurs when the body’s cooling mechanisms are unable to regulate its internal temperature, leading to overheating. Several factors contribute to heat stress, including:
1. High Temperature and Humidity: Hot and humid conditions make it harder for the body to cool itself through sweating. The length of time close to heat sources, and direct sunlight.
2. Intense Physical Activity: Strenuous work or exercise increases the body’s heat production, raising its core temperature.
3. Lack of Acclimatization: Sudden exposure to high temperatures without allowing the body to acclimate can increase the risk of heat stress.
4. Personal Factors: Age, weight, fitness level, and underlying health conditions can affect an individual’s susceptibility to heat stress.
- Medications: such as antihistamines, diuretics, blood pressure medications, and others
- Health Conditions: diabetes, obesity or overweight, high blood pressure, heart disease, and others
- Physical Characteristics: older age, lower levels of physical fitness, pregnancy, acclimatization status, (i.e., if you have built tolerance to working in heat), and others
- Behavioral Characteristics: recent alcohol use, use of illicit drugs such as opioids, methamphetamine, and cocaine, a low intake of water, and others
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- How to recognize heat illness such as heat cramps to life-threatening heat stroke.
If a worker experiences:- Abnormal thinking or behavior
- Slurred speech
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Headache or nausea
- Weakness or dizziness
- Elevated body temperature
- Thirst
- Decreased urine output
- Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin
- Actions
- Call 911 immediately.
- Cool the worker right away with water or ice.
- If possible, move the person to a cooler or shaded area.
- Stay with the worker until help arrives.
- Prevention Strategies.
- monitoring, acclimatization, work/rest schedules, a buddy system, and protocols for emergencies and first aid.
- Designate someone to oversee the heat safety program.
- Provide training on heat illness. Provide training on a regular basis.
- Acclimatize workers. Acclimatization is a physical change that allows the body to build tolerance to working in the heat. Begin with a 20% exposure on
- the first day, increasing by no more than 20% each following day. Full acclimatization may take up to 14 days or longer.
- Modify work schedules to reduce heat exposure.
- Reschedule non-essential outdoor or indoor work for days with a reduced heat index.
- Shift physically demanding work to cooler times of the day.
- Rotate workers, add extra workers, or split shifts to reduce exposure to heat and ease workloads.
- Stop work.
- Allow frequent rest breaks should be long enough to allow workers enough time to recover from heat given the temperature, humidity, activity level, and other conditions.
- Stay Hydrated – and avoid caffeine (energy drinks) alcohol and drink water, sports drinks, onion juice, cold water with lemon a teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of salt.
“Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Rulemaking |
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.” Www.osha.gov, www.osha.gov/heat-exposure
rulemaking.
“Heat – Heat Hazard Recognition | Occupational Safety and Health Administration.” www.osha.
gov, www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/hazards.
“Regulations.gov.” Www.regulations.gov, www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2021-0009-0001.
