OSHA National Emphasis Program Updated to Protect Workers from Heat Hazards

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration updated its National Emphasis Program to better protect workers from heat-related hazards, both outdoors and indoors. The update will help OSHA focus inspections and outreach on industries and workplaces where heat stress is most likely to happen.

First launched in April 2022, the updated National Emphasis Program for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards now uses data from OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2022 to 2025. This data helps OSHA focus inspections on 55 high-risk industries in both indoor and outdoor settings.

With this data, OSHA has identified industries with high rates of heat-related illness and employers who have received heat-related citations or hazard alert letters. The revised program removes outdated information, updates links, drops the old numerical inspection goal, and adds two reorganized appendices: one for evaluating heat programs and another for citation guidance. The update also offers clearer guidance to improve tracking and make enforcement and outreach more effective.

Click here to read the new National Emphasis Program.