Register by May 2 to Participate in OSHA Hearing on Proposed Heat Rule
The deadline to register to provide oral testimony at OSHA’s upcoming public hearing about its proposed heat rule is May 2. Individuals who wish to provide documentary evidence or question witnesses during the hearing must also register by May 2 using a form on the agency’s website. The informal public hearing will be held virtually beginning on June 16, continuing if necessary on subsequent weekdays.
“Your input will help us develop a final rule that adequately protects workers, is feasible for employers, and is based on the best available evidence,” OSHA’s website states.
Those planning to watch the hearing need not submit a notice of intention to appear. OSHA plans to post instructions for viewing the hearing separately.
The agency’s proposed rule on heat injury and illness prevention among workers in both indoor and outdoor settings, if finalized, would cover approximately 36 million workers, or about a third of all full-time workers in the U.S. Provisions of the proposed rule would require affected employers to develop and implement site-specific heat injury and illness prevention plans as well as plans to acclimatize new or returning workers who may be unaccustomed to working in high-heat conditions. The proposed rule also addresses requirements for drinking water, rest breaks, and control of indoor heat.
OSHA’s proposed heat rule, like other previously ongoing rulemaking in the federal government, is affected by the Trump administration’s regulatory freeze that took effect on Jan. 20. An expert interviewed by Business Insurance recently described the chances of OSHA finalizing its heat rulemaking under the current administration as “remote.”
More information about OSHA’s heat rulemaking can be found on the agency’s website.
Related: Articles published in The Synergist in April 2016 and April 2020 discuss protecting workers in hot environments and critical factors for heat stress assessment and prevention, respectively. An article published in the June/July 2022 issue of the magazine focuses on reducing heat burden from personal protective equipment and other factors.
