Heat Stress Proposal Challenges Employers on Proving Compliance

Businesses would expose themselves to thousands of dollars in fines under a recently proposed OSHA rule if they fail to properly document their efforts to protect workers from heat stress.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s July 2 proposal (RIN:1218-AD39) could eventually lead to first-ever national heat protections for indoor and outdoor work sites by 2025, if the next president backs the regulation. Worker advocates have pressed for a rule for years as heat waves continue to scorch the US.

While the plan’s basic requirements for water, rest, and shade are clear, mandates on recordkeeping, reporting, employee ...