Media Contact
Adam Allington
After record-high temperatures in the western U.S, extreme heat has shifted toward the East Coast. Earlier this month, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) proposed strengthened rules to protect workers exposed to rising temperatures fueled by climate change.
Nellie Brown
Director of Workplace Health & Safety Programs
Nellie Brown is an industrial hygienist and director of workplace health and safety programs for Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She says it’s long overdue for OSHA to update heat regulations.
Brown says:
“Given climate change, some employers that haven’t had to deal with extreme heat may now be facing risks. I think this new proposal does a decent job of updating the procedures that agencies like NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) have been advocating for, for a long time.
“People tend to think about heat stress affecting workers who are outside, but that is not exclusively the case. Plenty of people working indoors are facing increased risk as well. If you’re working in places with curing ovens, or in warehouses, kitchens and bakeries, or if you’re an HVAC worker dealing with boilers, you’re at risk, too.”
