The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will start the rulemaking process today to create a new federal heat standard. There aren’t many details yet on what the rule might look like, but the Biden administration’s announcement hints at a few things it could cover: thresholds for heat stress, heat exposure monitoring, and planning for acclimating to heat.

OSHA also plans to beef up enforcement of existing labor standards when it comes to heat-related hazards. When the heat index — a measure that includes humidity and temperature — rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the agency says it will “prioritize” heat-related issues when it comes to workplace inspections and interventions. It also plans to pay closer attention to industries it deems as having a higher risk of heat stress, including agriculture, construction, delivery workers, and warehouses.

This should've always been considered

  • john_browns_beard [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Warehouse owners in shambles.

    When the heat index — a measure that includes humidity and temperature — rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the agency says it will “prioritize” heat-related issues when it comes to workplace inspections and interventions.

    That number is WAY lower than I would have expected, I'm curious to see how this will play out.

    • SuperZutsuki [they/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      "OSHA budget slashed by 90%, 'No money for inspections,' former employee states"

    • Aryuproudomenowdaddy [comrade/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      I remember it probably being well into the 90s even during the graveyard shift at Amazon until after midnight. The AC was a joke when there are hundreds of robots running around.

    • Awoo [she/her]
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      That number is WAY lower than I would have expected, I'm curious to see how this will play out.

      It's lower than my threshold. I get uncomfortable at 27C and begin to cooldown the room I'm in when this happens. I make a habit of checking the temperature whenever I naturally reach "I need to cooldown the room" and it's always somewhere between 27-28. 80 farenheit is 26.66

    • ElHexo
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      deleted by creator