For the first time in the US, a new rule mooted by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labour proposes to safeguard millions of workers from issues arising out of exposure to excessive heat while at work. The new regulations, if brought into force, will benefit employees who are impacted by head at the workplace, such as construction workers, staff working in warehouses, factories and kitchens. It will also benefit delivery personnel and those working in farms.
The rule from OSHA will require employers to list out the heat-related hazards that are their establishments are at risk of, work on emergency response plans pertaining to heat-related illnesses, train their staff, especially supervisory staff to identify symptoms of illnesses. The regulations will also require employers to provide for adequate breaks from work, resting space/areas, shaded areas for those working in farms and fields, and provision for regular hydration, such as supply of drinking water. They will also be expected to help ne workers adjust to the working conditions, till they are able to tolerate higher temperatures, where the nature of work requires the same. Non-compliance or violations will attract fines or penalties.
It is reported that in the 1992 to 2022 period, about 1,000 workers lost their lives to heat exposure in the country. About 34 per cent of these were construction workers. The rule comes at a time when the country has been witnessing wildfires and soaring temperatures in many parts.
