The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed the agency’s Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards National Emphasis Program (NEP) on April 10. OSHA updated its 2022 NEP to protect workers from outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, directing agency resources to where they can have the greatest impact by focusing inspections and outreach on industries and workplaces where heat stress risks are most likely to occur.
The updated NEP uses OSHA and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from calendar years 2022-2025 to set inspection priorities for 55 high-risk industries across indoor and outdoor work settings.
In addition to the updated target industries list, the new directive made several significant changes, including the following:
- Removing outdated background information and references.
- Updating links.
- Revising inspection goals.
- Reorganizing and adding an appendix on evaluating heat programs (Appendix I).
- Reorganizing and adding citation guidance (Appendix J).
- Adding coding for worksite assistance.
- Adding coding for unprogrammed emphasis hazards.
The agency removed 46 industries targeted by its original NEP issued in 2022, retained 33, and added 22 for a total of 55 targeted industries. Criteria for industry targeting included the following:
- High numbers or high incidence rates of heat-related illnesses from BLS data for calendar years 2021 to 2024;
- Elevated number of days away, restricted, or transferred in calendar years 2021 to 2024;
- High numbers of severe cases of heat-related illnesses, as indicated by death or hospitalization, from OSHA severe injury reports made by employers for calendar years 2021 to 2024; or
- OSHA heat-related inspections of establishments with issued heat-related General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) violations and hazard alert letters (HALs) in calendar years 2022 to 2025.
Targeted construction industries include residential and nonresidential building construction; highway, street, and bridge construction; utility systems construction; foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; building equipment and building finishing contractors; and other special trade contractors. Targeted nonconstruction industries include those across the agricultural, manufacturing, retail trade, transportation, warehousing, and storage sectors.
Compliance officers will continue to conduct outreach and compliance assistance and expand inspections when there is evidence of heat-related hazards on heat priority days, according to OSHA. Agency compliance officers will also conduct random inspections focused on heat hazards in high-risk industries on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a heat advisory or warning.
Heat illness remains a serious hazard for indoor and outdoor workers, according to the agency, resulting in preventable injuries and fatalities each year. Ensuring that employers take the necessary steps to safeguard workers is essential, the agency said in a statement, and the updated program allows OSHA to better focus on outreach, compliance assistance, and enforcement in high-risk industries and to promote effective prevention practices.
There is no current federal heat illness prevention standard. OSHA issued a proposal on August 30, 2024, for a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings standard. The agency has since held public hearings and accepted public comment on the proposal.
California, Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington all have state heat illness prevention standards. Minnesota has a standard for both hot and cold working environments. New Mexico issued a proposal last year for a heat stress prevention standard. All state rules have similar requirements for water, rest, and shade, as well as for worker acclimatization and training.
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