Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR <SUBAGY>Occupational Safety and Health Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>29 CFR Part 1910, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1926, and 1928</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 1218-AD39</RIN> <SUBJECT>Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); request for comments. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> OSHA is proposing to issue a new standard, titled <E T="03">Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.</E> The standard would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction, with some exceptions. It would be a programmatic standard that would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplace. It would more clearly set forth employer obligations and the measures necessary to effectively protect employees from hazardous heat. OSHA requests comments on all aspects of the proposed rule. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments to this NPRM (including requests for a hearing) and other information must be submitted by December 30, 2024. <E T="03">Informal public hearing:</E> OSHA will schedule an informal public hearing on the proposed rule if requested during the comment period. If a hearing is requested, the location and date of the hearing, procedures for interested parties to notify the agency of their intention to participate, and procedures for participants to submit their testimony and documentary evidence will be announced in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> . </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> <E T="03">Written comments:</E> You may submit comments and attachments, identified by Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009, electronically at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> which is the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for making electronic submissions. After accessing “all documents and comments” in the docket (Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009), check the “proposed rule” box in the column headed “Document Type,” find the document posted on the date of publication of this document, and click the “Comment Now” link. When uploading multiple attachments to <E T="03">regulations.gov,</E> please number all of your attachments because <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> will not automatically number the attachments. This will be very useful in identifying all attachments. For example, Attachment 1—title of your document, Attachment 2—title of your document, Attachment 3—title of your document. For assistance with commenting and uploading documents, please see the Frequently Asked Questions on <E T="03">regulations.gov.</E> <E T="03">Instructions:</E> All submissions must include the agency's name and the docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009). All comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket without change and may be made available online at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about submitting information they do not want made available to the public, or submitting materials that contain personal information (either about themselves or others), such as Social Security Numbers and birthdates. <E T="03">Docket citations:</E> This <E T="04">Federal Register</E> document references material in Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009, which is the docket for this rulemaking. <E T="03">Citations to documents:</E> The docket referenced most frequently in this document is the docket for this rulemaking, docket number OSHA-2021-0009, cited as Document ID OSHA-2021-0009. Documents in the docket get an individual document identification number, for example “OSHA-2021-0009-0047.” Because this is the most frequently cited docket, the citation is shortened to indicate only the document number. The example is cited in the NPRM as “Document ID 0047.” Documents cited in this NPRM are available in the rulemaking docket (Docket ID OSHA-2021-0009). They are available to read and download by searching the docket number or document ID number at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . Each docket index lists all documents in that docket, including public comments, supporting materials, meeting transcripts, and other documents. However, some documents ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> copyrighted material) in the dockets are not available to read or download from that website. All documents in the dockets are available for inspection at the OSHA Docket Office. This information can be used to search for a supporting document in the docket at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> . Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY number: 877-889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> <E T="03">For press inquiries:</E> Contact Frank Meilinger, Director, OSHA Office of Communications, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; telephone: (202) 693-1999; email: <E T="03">meilinger.francis2@dol.gov</E> . <E T="03">General information and technical inquiries:</E> Contact Stephen Schayer, Director, Office of Physical Hazards and Others, OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance; telephone: (202) 693-1950; email: <E T="03">osha.dsg@dol.gov</E> . <E T="03">Copies of this</E> <E T="04">Federal Register</E> <E T="03">notice:</E> Electronic copies are available at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . This <E T="04">Federal Register</E> notice, as well as news releases and other relevant information, also are available at OSHA's web page at <E T="03">https://www.osha.gov</E> . The docket is available at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> the Federal eRulemaking Portal. A “100-word summary” is also available on <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . For additional information on submitting items to, or accessing items in, the docket, please refer to the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section of this NPRM. Most exhibits are available at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov;</E> some exhibits ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> copyrighted material) are not available to download from that web page. However, all materials in the dockets are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Pertinent Legal Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Introduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Significant Risk</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Feasibility</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. High Degree of Employee Protection</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Introduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Need for Proposal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Events Leading to Proposal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Other Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Introduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. General Mechanisms of Heat-Related Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Identifying Cases of Heat-Related Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Heat-Related Deaths</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Heat Stroke</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Heat Exhaustion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Heat Syncope</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Rhabdomyolysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Hyponatremia</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Heat Cramps</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Heat Rash</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Heat Edema</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Kidney Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">N. Other Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">O. Factors That Affect Risk for Heat-Related Health Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> P. Heat-Related Injuries </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Risk Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Risk Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Basis for Initial and High Heat Triggers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Risk Reduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Significance of Risk</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Material Harm</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Significant Risk</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Preliminary Conclusions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Explanation of Proposed Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Paragraph (a) Scope and Application</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Paragraph (b) Definitions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Paragraph (c) Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Paragraph (d) Identifying Heat Hazards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Paragraph (e) Requirements at or Above the Initial Heat Trigger</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Paragraph (f) Requirements at or Above the High Heat Trigger</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Paragraph (g) Heat Illness and Emergency Response and Planning</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Paragraph (h) Training</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Paragraph (i) Recordkeeping</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Paragraph (j) Requirements Implemented at no Cost to Employees</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Paragraph (k) Dates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Paragraph (l) Severability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Preliminary Economic Analysis and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Market Failure and Need for Regulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Profile of Affected Industries</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Costs of Compliance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Economic Feasibility</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Distributional Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Appendix A. Description of the Cost Savings Approach</FP> <FP S ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 2300k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━