OSHA’s Message: Working in Hot Weather

As temperatures rise in New Jersey and New York over the next few days, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reminds employers and workers not to ignore the dangers of working in hot weather – indoors and out – and remember “Water. Rest. Shade.” can be the difference between ending the workday safely or suffering serious injuries or worse.

From 2011-2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 344 worker-related deaths in U.S. were due to environmental heat exposure. Workplace safety experts believe the actual number of heat-related fatalities may be underreported or misreported as another cause, such as heart attacks. 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.

• 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.

The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool is a free, downloadable 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. The tool is available in English and Spanish.  https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/calculator

OSHA’s Occupational Heat Exposure page explains the symptoms of heat illness and first aid measures to provide while waiting for help. https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/illness-first-aid

Read a fact sheet on OSHA’s National Emphasis Program to protect workers across the nation from the increasing threat of heat related illness. Learn more about working in outdoor and indoor heat environments.  https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/heat-nep-factsheet-en.pdf

To learn more about heat illness prevention and first aid, visit www.osha.gov/heat.