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OSHA Extends Its Heat Program

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Although there is no federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) heat rule, OSHA still issues heat citations under its General Duty clause.  On April 10, 2026, OSHA issued an updated National Emphasis Program for outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards.  The updated plan will “direct Agency resources where they can make the biggest impact” “focusing inspections and outreach in industries and workplaces where heat stress risks are most likely to occur.” 

The updated plan sets forth a “target list” of 55 “high-hazard” industries, including animal slaughtering/processing and many others.  OSHA will attempt to make random heat inspections on any day that the weather service has announced a heat warning or advisory, based on its target list.  In addition, OSHA will focus on heat-related hazards even during non-heat-related inspections in some circumstances.  

This article is part of our June 2026 Newsletter. 

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