Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Summer 2024 was the hottest on record—and most of the United States grappled with dangerously high temperatures throughout July and August. The country has cooled down since then. But this summer’s extreme heat was a warning sign. Earth is only getting hotter, and we’re likely to see increasingly dangerous temperatures that could put your employees at […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finally published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register on August 30, initiating a 120-day public comment period for the agency’s proposed heat illness prevention standard (89 Fed. Reg. 70698). OSHA first released the text of its proposal on the agency website on July 2. Comments on the proposed standard are […]
California’s new Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment standard has become effective, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced July 24. The indoor heat standard applies to most indoor workplaces, such as manufacturing facilities, restaurants, and warehouses. In indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take steps to […]
On July 2, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released text of a proposed heat injury and illness prevention standard. The proposed regulation would contain requirements for water, shade, paid breaks, heat acclimatization, and training. Heat injury and illness prevention requirements would be triggered by a National Weather Service heat index of 80° Fahrenheit (F) or […]
A new measure signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that prohibits local workplace standards requiring drinking water and cooling measures increases the risk of worker deaths from heat exposure, according to worker safety advocates. “The bill in Florida threatens to strip millions of workers of fundamental heat protection measures, such as access to […]
With parts of the country experiencing record-breaking heatwaves this summer, employers and managers must protect their workers from the dangers of heat stress and illness. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), thousands of workers get sick or even die from occupational heat exposure every year, despite it being entirely preventable. Hazardous heat […]
With parts of the country suffering record-breaking temperatures this summer, employers know they need to be on guard against heat dangers for both indoor and outdoor workers. At some point, however, those precautions may be formalized into a new standard from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).