OSHA seeks industry input on heat standard

OSHA seeks participation

OSHA is currently seeking participation from small entities including:

• Small private businesses in the agriculture, construction, landscaping, manufacturing, oil and gas, warehousing, waste management, utilities, and food service industries;
• Non-profit entities regardless of number of employees or revenue; and
• Small government jurisdictions (such as counties, cities, towns, districts, etc.) representing a population less than 50,000 in an OSHA state-plan state.

Panel activities

Via a series of teleconferences, the SBAR Panel will hear from participating small entity representatives (SERs) in August. The general public may attend in listen-only mode. Topics to be considered by the SBAR Panel include potential options OSHA has identified for a heat-specific rulemaking, including:

• The scope of a potential standard;
• A heat injury and illness prevention program;
• Heat-hazard identification and assessment;
• Heat-hazard prevention and control measures;
• Medical treatment and heat-related emergency response;
• Employee training; and
• Recordkeeping.

The panel will develop a final report with SER recommendations and issue it to OSHA within 60 days of the panel meetings. After receiving the final report (likely by late October), OSHA would be free to continue toward publication of a Heat rulemaking, which is a priority for the agency.

More information

OSHA may issue a draft rulemaking or outline once the SBAR Panel meetings begin. For more information, please see OSHA's Heat Injury and Illness SBREFA webpage.