OSHA Heat Standard Still Not in Sight
Date Posted: July 18, 2023
Posted In: Discussion,
From Construction Dive: Massive heat waves have hit large swaths of the U.S. this summer, breaking records for high temperatures across the country. And it’s about to get worse.
About 21% of U.S. residents live in areas where heat levels could become dangerously high this week, according to the New York Times heat tracker.
For construction workers, the sweltering conditions mean an additional jobsite hazard. But there is no enforceable standard for protecting workers during extreme heat that contractors can look to for guidance.
In the continued absence of a strict standard, one of the best things contractors can do to reinforce heat safety on the job is proper acclimatization, according to Gary Orr, health scientist for OSHA’s directorate of enforcement.
That’s one of many tips Orr told listeners during a webinar last week on the agency’s National Emphasis Program on heat safety, hosted by CPWR — The Center for Construction Research and Training.
OSHA first introduced the NEP in April 2022. It remains in effect for three years and the agency can expand it for another three years, Orr said.
The NEP reinforces credos like “Water. Rest. Shade,” while it also focuses on vulnerable workers by coordinating with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to send inspectors to bolster OSHA’s efforts across more jobsites, thus, covering more ground.