OSHA warns employers, workers about heat risks

Published 11:20 am Monday, August 14, 2023

With temperatures forecast to exceed 100 degrees through Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is calling on employers to protect workers from the dangers of heat illness, both indoors and outdoors.

“Exposure to heat can cause illness and death. Workers should know their rights and what they can do to prevent heat illness.

Federal law entitles you to a safe workplace. Your employer must keep your workplace free of known health and safety hazards. This includes heat exposure,” OSHA said in a Monday, Aug. 14 release.

According to the release, nearly 3 out of 4 heat illness fatalities happen during the first week of work. New and returning workers need to build tolerance to heat by taking frequent breaks and working shorter shifts in the heat to start.

“OSHA’s message is simple: Water. Rest. Shade,” the agency said in the release that included the following recommendations:

• Encourage workers to drink water every 15 minutes.
• Take frequent rest breaks in the shade to cool down.
• Have an emergency plan ready to respond when a worker shows signs of heat-related illness.
• Train workers on the hazards of heat exposure, and how to prevent illness.
• Allow workers to build a tolerance for working in heat.

In addition, the agency offers a free, downloadable OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app that calculates a worksite’s heat index and displays the associated risk levels. Users can receive precautionary recommendations specific to heat index risk levels to help protect employees from heat-related illness. It is available in English and Spanish, the agency said.

And OSHA’s Occupational Heat Exposure page explains the symptoms of heat illness, first aid measures to provide while waiting for help, engineering controls and work practices to reduce workers’ exposure to heat, and training.