On July 2, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its proposed rule on heat injury and illness prevention in indoor and outdoor workplaces.
The rule mandates that employers with a “reasonable expectation” that workers will be exposed to certain heat thresholds have a written Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (HIIPP), track local heat index forecasts, monitor workers when the two “heat triggers” are reached, train workers on heat injury and illness prevention and the workplace HIIPP, and maintain records of the workplace heat measurements for six months. If either of the rule’s two heat triggers are reached, the employer must provide certain meditation efforts. Moreover, employers are required to consult workers and their representatives when evaluating the workplace for potential heat hazards and developing the HIIPP.
CWS will file comments on the rulemaking.