OSHA seeks industry input on heat standard

June 28, 2023

To address the risks associated with working in high temperatures, OSHA has a rulemaking in the works to protect workers from exposure to hazardous heat in the general, construction, maritime, and agriculture industries.

As part of the rulemaking development process, OSHA will hold several Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel meetings on or around August 21 to collect information from small entities on the potential impact a Heat rule may have on their operations and how it would to protect their employees from heat-related illnesses and injuries.

See a related 6/12/2023 article, “OSHA Heat Rule: 5 Core Elements Win Consensus with Advisory Committee.”

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.

Publish Date

June 28, 2023

Author

{not populated}

Type

Industry News

Industries

{not populated}