Heat is the leading cause of death among all hazardous weather conditions in the United States. OSHA has proposed a heat illness program and is accepting public comments on it, which Clark says is likely a signal that OSHA will turn it into a standard for everyone to follow.
“You can't just say after 15 minutes we take a break at a certain time. You have to watch your employees because, individually, we will respond differently. Some people will succumb to heat injury and illness way sooner than others,” she said. “So you have to make sure that they have frequent rest cycles in the shade, that they can get cooled down, that they're drinking more frequently than just on a regularly scheduled break, and that there is somebody implementing the fact that [you] have cool water.”
I think the Trump administration may scrap all of these heat safety rules. But regardless of what the government does here are some tips for general contractors to keep their employees safe in working in hot temperatures.