OSHA Releases Proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Rule

Words: Lily BurgerOn July 2, OSHA released its “Proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Programs Rule” as a new, proposed standard to prevent heat illnesses and injury in indoor and outdoor settings. The MCAA, as part of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), has been in conversations with OSHA and OIRA throughout this entire process.

This proposal will impact all MCAA members to varying degrees depending on regionality. And impact both public and private sector employees. The OSHA proposed rule will implement regulations and practices such as:
  • Required training for supervisors, heat safety coordinators, and employees about the proposed program
  • Developing and implementing a work site heat injury and illness prevention plan for companies with more than 10 employees
  • Initial heat triggers with a heat index of 80F with employers providing drinking water, break areas on indoor/outdoor work sites, paid rest breaks if needed, etc.
  • High heat trigger with a heat index of 90F with employers providing a minimum 15-minute paid rest break at least every two hours, warning signs for excessive high heat areas, etc.
  • Additional recordkeeping requirements
We, through the CISC, have provided feedback regarding the need for flexibility and reasonable expectations for mason contractors throughout the entire process. As the proposed rule evolves, we will continue to keep members posted.

For more information, please see the attached documents:

Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Rulemaking - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA has released a news release on the proposed rule available at Biden-Harris administration announces proposed rule to protect indoor, outdoor workers from extreme heat | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

The White House has issued a Fact Sheet about OSHA’s proposed Heat rule available at White House Fact Sheet.

The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More