OSHA Aims to Double Heat Stress Inspections as Summer Nears (1)

OSHA intends to double the number of heat-related inspections it conducts, the agency announced in a new national emphasis program released late Tuesday, a still-incremental change for a workplace hazard subject to scant oversight.

Heat-related inspections have accounted for just 0.5% of inspections in recent years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said. Under the new program, the agency aims for about 1% of inspections. For recent years that would be roughly 240 to 340 inspections annually.

Inspectors will be authorized to check for heat-related hazards while conducting inspections prompted by other hazards, or if they find evidence of heat-related ...