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The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the recognized experts in preventing, monitoring, diagnosing, and treating occupational and environmental injury, illness, and disability, welcomes the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) release of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to create a standard for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.
This NPRM is a critical and necessary step forward in the rulemaking process, and ACOEM looks forward to reviewing the proposed standard and engaging with OSHA through the public comment process and beyond to ensure the standard will effectively protect workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses.
ACOEM would like to thank OSHA for requesting input from occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) physicians and acknowledges the importance of such expert consultations in shaping effective health and safety standards. As highlighted in ACOEM’s January 2022 response to the Agency’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on this subject, the College continues to advocate for key elements in a successful employer HRI prevention program.
These elements include heat exposure limits that trigger workplace controls, acclimatization, first aid and emergency response, worker and supervisor training, and medical monitoring/surveillance.
Ensuring the health and well-being of workers and their families is essential. Thoughtful occupational health and safety standards, particularly on an issue such as heat exposure, can also provide workers with critical skills and knowledge of hazards, which they can pass along to their families and communities. By implementing robust heat stress programs, employers can integrate OSHA’s standards into their own safety practices, creating a safer work environment and promoting overall well-being.
ACOEM stands ready to assist employers in integrating the OSHA standard into their own Heat Stress Programs, ensuring a comprehensive approach to worker safety. For press inquiries, please reach out to Marketing and Communications Coordinator Charlie Peckman at
charlie@acoem.org.
About ACOEM
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) is the nation’s preeminent medical society dedicated to promoting the health of workers through preventive medicine, clinical care, research, and education. Founded in 1916, ACOEM is a professional association representing more than 3,000 physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, and other health care professionals specializing in the field of occupational and environmental medicine. Learn more at acoem.org.