White House Issues Hazard Alert to Guard Against Extreme Heat — Occupational Health & Safety

White House Issues Hazard Alert to Guard Against Extreme Heat

As record-breaking heat continues, the measure is the first hazard alert tied to heat.

• By Robert Yaniz Jr.
• Jul 28, 2023

President Biden is taking action to protect workers from rising temperatures.

In a statement dated July 27, the White House revealed President Biden had asked the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a Hazard Alert for heat, the first time such an alert had been delivered. Additional announcements regarding new measures to protect workers from extreme heat are expected to follow.

In keeping with this alert, the DOL will strengthen its enforcement efforts nationwide, ensuring workers have federal protections in place to guard against the heat. This includes a greater focus on cracking down on heat-safety violations and increasing the number of inspections in industries such as construction and agriculture, where risk of heat stress is most common.

The DOL also plans to provide employers with information on how to more effectively protect workers. It will also check in with employees regarding awareness of their own rights. This includes highlighting OSHA’s efforts to protect workers, such as developing a national standard for workplace heat-safety rules.

This announcement falls in line with previous actions the White House has taken to combat climate change, while building on President Biden’s recent investment in the DOL. In March 2023, the Biden-Harris administration outlined a request for $15.1 billion to be directed to the DOL, including $2.3 billion for worker protection agencies.