Since 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 436 people have died due to workplace heat exposure, with an annual average of 38 deaths between 2011 and 2019. Thousands more workers are hospitalized each year due to heat-related illnesses. Moreover, the summer of 2023 has seen some record-breaking high temperatures across the continental United States.
In response to these occurrences, the Biden Administration requested the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue the first-ever Heat Hazard Alert.
This alert—issued on July 27, 2023–has four main components:
- Highlights what employers should be doing to protect employees.
- Ensures employees are aware of their rights, including protections against retaliation.
- Highlights steps OSHA is currently taking to protect workers.
- Directs employers, employees and the public to crucial OSHA resources, including guidance and fact sheets on heat.
Additionally, the DOL is ramping up enforcement of heat-safety violations by increasing inspections in high-risk industries like construction and agriculture as part of the National Emphasis Program to Protect Employees from Heat-Related Hazards.
OSHA also continues to work on a national standard for workplace heat-safety hazards. This began with the 10/27/21 issuance of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and indoor Work Settings.
If you have any questions or comments about this Hazard Alert or other related documents, please feel free to reach out to McConkey Risk Solutions Consultant Steve McCarty at steve.mccarty@ekmcconkey.com or 717-505-3184.
