What does OSHA require for heat stress in construction?
OSHA instructs construction companies exposed to heat stress to have a written heat illness prevention program, heat training for their workers, heat illness prevention controls (a/c, fans, etc.), frequent breaks, access to cool water, and time for new worker acclimatization.
Most construction companies we work with take a/c breaks in work trucks or trailers, have fans, and they have plenty of water. But, in my experience, many do not have the other requirements in place, which is probably one of the reasons why OSHA is issuing an “emphasis program”. To help construction companies implement these effective things.
What is OSHA looking for?
When reading the details of OSHA’s heat illness emphasis program, I found the following eight things that OSHA will be looking for during an inspection.
They are:
A written heat illness prevention program.
Reports of heat illnesses found in OSHA 300 logs.
Symptoms of heat illnesses amongst workers.
Acclimatizing new workers.
Unlimited cool water.
A system of additional breaks.
Access to cooling or shady areas.
How can you prepare?
It’s very simple. Develop a written heat illness prevention program, train workers on items 1 – 8, and implement these very things.
I find a lot of practical heat information for training construction workers on osha.gov. They even have a free heat program template that you can use. You can access it here.
As far as acclimating workers to heat, my experience shows that this is a very important and critical step that is often missed in construction companies. Many heat related illnesses occur in the first day or two of being exposed to heat. Acclimating workers to heat means to allow new workers to get used to hot working environments by using a staggered approach over 7-14 days. For example, new workers should begin work with 20% of the normal workload and time spent in the hot environment, then gradually increase the time over 7–14-day days.
We speak more on heat stress and other many other construction safety topics in our “video toolbox talks” e training program for construction workers. They are 3 minutes, relevant, practical to construction and even funny. They are automatically texted and emailed to your workers every week, include a quiz and tracking reporting metrics. You can use these to supplement and enhance your safety training.
Share this sample video toolbox talk on “Heat Stress” with your team:
Video toolbox talks on heat stress in construction.
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“They are really good”
Yes, by preparing now, you can help your construction workers to avoid heat illnesses and your company to avoid costly OSHA fines.
Thank you for all you do for safety and I’ll see you out there!
Seth (Aka Safety Culture Pro)
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