{"id":4726,"date":"2016-04-04T11:47:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T16:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/heat-stress-osha-regulations.html"},"modified":"2024-12-09T11:20:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T16:20:00","slug":"heat-stress-osha-regulations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/heat-stress-osha-regulations.html","title":{"rendered":"Heat Stress: OSHA Regulations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Heat Stress: OSHA Regulations<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Aviana Cooper, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have any specific heat stress regulations. Instead, OSHA relies on the General Duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which requires employers to provide an employment environment free from recognized hazards likely to cause harm or death. Heat-related hazards, such as heat stress, are included in this definition. OSHA also defers to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).<\/p>\n

OSHA and Heat Safety Standards<\/b><\/h2>\n

As heat waves and abnormally hot weather continue to increase, so does the need to protect employees who work outdoors. Heat stress occurs when hot weather causes a person\u2019s core body temperature to rise, leading to heat rashes, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, with potentially deadly outcomes.<\/p>\n

OSHA is a federal agency that sets worker and workplace safety standards. OSHA does not have specific regulations for environmental heat exposure<\/b><\/a>. Instead, it defers to NIOSH recommendations and standards. NIOSH<\/b><\/a> has released recommendations for occupational standards and risk factors for a number of criteria, including:<\/p>\n