A look at what’s happening at the federal and state level
Three years ago, Safety+Health offered an overview of efforts by the federal government and states to address heat injury and illness prevention on the job.
At the time, five states – California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington – had some form of a heat-related standard in effect. Colorado’s standard covers agricultural workers, while Minnesota’s applies only to indoor workplaces.
Since 2023, Maryland and Nevada have finalized heat regulations for indoor and outdoor workers. Meanwhile, many other potential rules are in various stages of the legislative or regulatory process.
Here’s a rundown of important developments over the past few years.
Federal OSHA
On April 10, OSHA issued a revision of its National Emphasis Program on outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards.
The updated NEP, set to expire in 2031, features a revised list of 55 “high-risk industries,” along with information on how agency investigators will evaluate heat illness and injury prevention programs.
The NEP notes that OSHA’s heat-related inspections have accounted for 6% of all federal-level agency inspections in the past five years. That’s up from 0.5% in the five-year period that preceded the 2022 NEP.
In August 2024, the agency published a proposed rule on heat illness and injury prevention in outdoor and indoor settings. Last summer, OSHA conducted a series of informal hearings with stakeholders, but next steps on a heat standard were unknown as of press time.
Other notable state actions
Arizona
The Industrial Commission of Arizona on April 9 unanimously approved a set of recommendations.
The guidance, which isn’t an enforceable standard, is intended for employers. It covers best practices for prevention plans; water, shade and rest breaks; acclimatization; and training.
The state is also working to revise its special emphasis program on heat and will then “evaluate the updated SEP and report on the effectiveness of the improved guidance before the end of the year.”
During the past legislative session, Arizona lawmakers introduced bills that address workplace heat and cold stress prevention.
At press time, the bills remained in the committee stage.
Keep track of heat standards
Want to stay up to date on the latest federal- and state-level efforts to address worker exposure to heat? The National Resources Defense Council has created a website that does just that. You can click on a state to see what occupational heat-related standards exist or use pull-down menus to get more specific.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication