Biden Administration Steps Up Heat Inspections

What happened: President Joe Biden July 27 asked the U.S. Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a heat hazard alert and increase enforcement of heat-safety standards through more inspections. The president cited “construction workers who literally risk their lives working all day in blazing heat and in some places don’t even have the right to take a water break.”

Why it matters: The administration announced in April 2022 a National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Heat Hazards, noting plans to double the number of OSHA inspections in industries targeted as the most hazardous, including “Highway, Street and Bridge Construction.”

What’s next? ARTBA members are increasingly likely to be inspected by OSHA, and any inspection – even one instigated for another type of hazard – could include examinations for heat hazards. ARTBA’s “Heat Illness Prevention Plan” template contains checklists to follow best practices, aligning with OSHA heat abatement recommendations.