Fact Sheet
On July 2, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a proposed standard to better protect workers from the health risks of extreme heat. If finalized, this rule could protect approximately 36 million people working in both indoor and outdoor settings.
Key components of the rule include requiring employers to evaluate heat risks and implement water and rest breaks, monitor indoor and outdoor temperatures, and develop plans to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to high heat.
Learn more about the proposed standard in this fact sheet from the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.
Action Toolkit
Health professionals and organizations have a vital role to play in protecting communities from the impacts of extreme heat and are encouraged to share their support for the swift finalization and implementation of OSHA’s heat standard.
Individual health professionals can easily submit a comment on this standard through December 30th using this action alert.
We’re also asking health organizations to join us in signing on to this letter to OSHA asking it to finalize and implement the heat standard quickly to save lives and protect the communities we serve. The letter also outlines recommendations to improve workers’ health and safety in hot environments.
Learn more about these opportunities and discover sharing resources in this action toolkit created by a coalition of health organizations.
Ready to take even more action? Submit an original comment on the standard through the federal register here. The more OSHA hears from health professionals on the importance of finalizing and implementing this standard the better.
Webinar & Additional Resources
In this webinar, our expert panel addresses how extreme heat impacts health and our healthcare system, explores the burden on the communities most at risk, and discusses the recently released OSHA heat standards. We also share advocacy opportunities and resources for health organizations and individual health professionals to engage in this important work.
Speakers:
- Moderator: Nicole Duritz – Director of Programs, Outreach and Strategy, The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health
- William “Brett” Perkison, MD, MPH – Assistant Professor, The University of Texas School of Public Health
- Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN – Professor and Co-Director, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Environmental Health and the Environment
- Juanita Constible – Senior Advocate, Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council