OSHA To Issue New Rule for Working in Extreme Heat [Video]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—September 23, 2021—The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) will issue a new rule to protect workers during bouts of extreme heat. The OSHA rule will apply to work environments when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit and is aimed at reducing the risks of heat illness on jobsites, according to Newsweek.

As part of the Biden administration’s effort to address heat-related hazards, the OSHA rule will trigger additional workplace interventions and inspections on hot days. Heat stress can be deadly, but “many people don’t recognize that heat stress is a real physical problem until it’s too late for them,″ said White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy. This summer, record-breaking heat claimed hundreds of lives in the Pacific Northwest and caused thousands of emergency-room visits. At least 12 people in Louisiana died of heat-related illness after Hurricane Ida knocked out power during a heat wave, according to Newsweek.

As climate …