On the heels of the Florida legislature passing controversial House Bill 433, a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, was proposed to protect workers from extreme heat. Open for public comment until December 30, 2024, this regulation may bring long-awaited protection to workers working in high temperatures, enforcing heat protocols on both a state and national level.
OSHA’s federal enforcement guarantees the following protections for workers:
- Access to drinking water
- Providing shaded or cool-down break areas
- 15-minute breaks every 2 hours
- Heat illness emergency plans
- Onsite heat safety coordinator
House Bill 433, which among other things, prohibits the creation of any new heat exposure requirements beyond those mandated by state or federal law. Currently, Florida has no specific heat exposure regulations. This leaves many of the state’s workers, particularly those in outdoor industries such as construction and agriculture, at a heightened risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. While OSHA pushed for heat safety standards since the 1970s, this is the first time a comprehensive regulation covering most industries was proposed. If approved, the OSHA rule could go into effect as early as next year.
OSHA’s proposed standard would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in the general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction, with some exceptions. According to The National Council for Occupational Safety, a federation that fights for healthy and safe jobs, this new proposal could help protect over 35 million Americans who work outside or indoors in extreme heat environments, and potentially reduce the more than 2,000 worker deaths caused by heat-related illnesses or injuries. For injured workers, access to reliable prescription care is essential for recovery. Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) specializes in advocating for injured workers. IWP understands the complexity of the workers’ compensation system. and provides, next-day medication delivery without unnecessary hassles or delays.
Arianna Ashby, Digital Marketing & Communications Specialist at Injured Workers Pharmacy