Heat

Whether you’re working indoors or outdoors, hot and humid conditions can pose serious risks to workers’ health. However, these heat-related illnesses are preventable.

In line with federal OSHA's National Emphasis Program (NEP) focused on heat hazards, MIOSHA has adopted a State Emphasis Program (SEP) to help identify and reduce exposures to indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards in the workplace. 

Sample Heat Illness Prevention Plan for Employers

As part of the SEP, MIOSHA has developed a Sample Heat Illness Prevention Plan that employers can use as a template to establish their own heat illness prevention procedures and reduce the risk of work-related heat illness among their employees. This sample program was designed to address heat strain in outdoor environments, but the same principles apply to indoor environments.

The plan encourages employers to evaluate conditions at their worksite, while providing detailed procedures on how to prevent and treat heat illness, including:

• Monitoring the heat index and what to do when the heat index equals or exceeds 90°F
• Provisioning water
• Accessing cooling areas or shade
• Building heat tolerance 
• Developing an emergency response 
• Handling a sick employee
• Training for employees and supervisors 

More Heat Illness Prevention Resources

• Workplace Heat Illness Prevention PowerPoint (MIOSHA training that covers heat illness prevention, first aid, employee rights under the MIOSH Act, and additional resources)
• Heat Illness Prevention (federal OSHA)
• Fact Sheet: Protecting Workers from the Effects of Heat (federal OSHA)
• MIOSHA Agency Instruction: Heat-related Illness — State Emphasis Program (SEP)
• MIOSHA CET Guidelines for Combating Heat Stress