OSHA’s Proposed Heat Stress Standard

Photos: OSHA, Corporate Safety Services, standret

The goal of OSHA is to work tirelessly to keep us, the workers, as safe as possible as we go about our jobs every day. According to the statistics that the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides, a staggering 479 workers died from heat stress from 2011-2022, that is an average of 40 people per year. Also, there were 33,890 heat stress incidents that resulted in workers having to take time off work in that same time frame. For those who are not good at math, that is 3,389 people per year. 3,389 had to take time off work after having a heat stress related injury or illness between 2011-2022. That is a lot of man hours and money, not to mention getting behind on schedule.

Looking at these numbers, it is no wonder why OSHA is in the process of revamping the heat stress standard. Before going over what might be changing, let us go over heat stress as it stands now.

Heat protection in essence is simple, we are trying to keep our bodies at their proper temperature. Heat stress happens when the body becomes too hot, resulting in fatigue, dizziness, cramps, nausea, profuse sweating or being unable to sweat, all of which are signs of heat stress. Heat stress is what causes heat stroke, which is dangerous and anyone who has a heat stroke needs to be hospitalized immediately.

There are three major ways to prevent heat stress. Water, Rest, and Shade.

WATER: Hydration is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from heat stress. In the heat your body is constantly using water to keep itself cool, which means it’s your responsibility to keep replenishing your body with water. Now please be clear about something, not all liquids are created equal. Drinks like sodas, coffee, and energy drinks will actually prevent proper hydration. The best thing you can do is to drink water, plain water.

REST: Rest is important because your body needs breaks. Giving yourself a breather throughout the day is one of the best things you can do. When the body is given even a few minutes to rest the temperature of the body goes down, giving the body more energy and a needed reprieve from the activity, which raises your body temperature.

SHADE: The best place to take a short rest is in the shade. On average, shade is about 10 degrees cooler than in direct sun. 10 degrees may not sound like much but it makes a huge difference. In Texas where I live, in the summer it can get over 100 degrees and in weather like that, shade is something that is fought over. Even if it is scorching outside, choosing to find a place where you are not in direct sunlight is one of the best decisions you can make.

If you are getting too hot, or if you are even thinking that you might be overheating, the absolute best thing you can do is find a shady spot, take a break in the shade, and slowly drink water.

Now a lot of this may sound like common sense, so what exactly is OSHA considering changing when it comes to their heat stress standard? The proposed changes would not necessarily change any of the rules of the standard itself as it stands, they are not saying that each worker must drink “X” amount of water per day or anything like that. They are just adding to it. What the proposed changes would be is simply requiring each employer in the general, construction, maritime, and agriculture industries to have a protection plan against heat stress. Basically, this proposed new OSHA standard would say that each employer must have some kind of company plan in order to protect their workers from the hazards and risks of heat exposure. This plan is for the evaluation and controlling of heat hazards in the workplace. That’s it. OSHA is considering lawfully requiring the companies to have a protection plan in place in order to make sure the workers of a company are as safe as possible from overheating while on the job.

The proposed plan uses the specific words “evaluate” and “control” which basically means that companies would be required to study the work they do, see how their workers could be exposed to heat stress, and then create a company plan to protect their workers from that exposure. OSHA will now require employers to train their workers in heat stress safety and will have more specific training for supervisors. This training includes staying aware of how hot it actually gets and depending on the temperature the workers will need more paid breaks than if it’s a bit cooler. For example, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit employers would be required to give rest breaks as needed. However, at 90 degrees Fahrenheit employers would be required to give paid rest breaks every 2 hours. Both would require providing drinking water and rest break areas. Employers would also be required to monitor the temperature in the work place and industries like construction might need additional safeguards due to increased risk.

In conclusion, OSHA is not going to fine you if you don’t force your workers to drink a certain amount of gallons of water each day. Nor are they proposing to change the actual standard when it comes to heat stress. They are considering making it a law that each company must have a safety plan when it comes to the heat. I (living in Texas) can attest that the heat is no joke. According to those statistics at the beginning of this article, this is something that affects thousands of people each year in the workforce. If you take anything away from this, remember Water, Rest, and Shade. Those are your three best friends when it comes to protecting our workers. If you have those three in mind, you really can’t go wrong. Please, keep your people and yourself safe. The heat spares no one. Be safe, and God bless and protect you.

OSHA’s Proposed Heat Stress Standard

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