WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended and updated its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat-related workplace hazards, reinforcing enforcement and outreach efforts aimed at protecting workers in high-risk industries such as construction.
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The updated program, announced April 10, will run through 2031, replacing the previous initiative that expired April 8. Originally launched in 2022 and extended in 2025, the NEP is designed to address rising concerns around heat-related illnesses and fatalities in both indoor and outdoor work environments.
Although the program does not establish a formal regulatory standard, it provides guidance for employers and outlines how OSHA will conduct inspections and enforcement activities during periods of elevated temperatures.
Under the revised NEP, OSHA compliance officers will continue outreach and education efforts while expanding inspection protocols on “heat priority days,” defined as days when the heat index is expected to reach 80 degrees or higher. On those days, inspectors may initiate workplace visits and broaden the scope of inspections if heat hazards are identified.
The program also calls for random inspections targeting high-risk industries, including construction, where workers are particularly vulnerable to heat exposure.
“Heat illness remains a serious hazard for indoor and outdoor workers, leading to preventable injuries and fatalities every year,” OSHA said in its announcement. “Ensuring that employers take the steps needed to safeguard workers is essential, and this updated program allows OSHA to better focus on outreach, compliance assistance, and enforcement efforts in high-risk industries and promote effective prevention practices.”
The updated NEP includes additional appendices that formalize procedures previously outlined in informal guidance, offering more clarity on how inspectors evaluate employer compliance. These appendices also provide direction on when citations or warning letters should be issued.
Despite the updates, the core principles of heat illness prevention remain unchanged, according to legal and safety experts. Employers are still expected to implement fundamental protective measures to reduce risk on jobsites.
These include providing access to cool drinking water, ensuring shaded or climate-controlled rest areas, scheduling regular breaks and gradually acclimating new workers to high temperatures. Training employees to recognize symptoms of heat-related illness and establishing monitoring systems — such as buddy systems or supervisory oversight — are also key components of effective prevention programs.
Phillip Russell, an OSHA attorney with Ogletree Deakins, emphasized the importance of maintaining established safety practices.
“I think employers need to continue to just do the same things they have been doing,” he said. “Treat heat as a workplace hazard and implement appropriate and effective abatement measures.”
While the NEP provides a framework for enforcement, OSHA has not yet finalized a nationwide heat safety standard. A proposed rule introduced in July 2024 remains under consideration.
Inspection data underscores the growing focus on heat-related risks. Between 2022 and 2025, OSHA conducted approximately 2,400 heat-related inspections annually, including around 50 fatality investigations each year. Heat-related cases accounted for about 6% of all federal OSHA inspections during that period — a significant increase from just 0.5% prior to the program’s implementation.
As extreme heat events become more frequent, OSHA’s extended emphasis program signals a continued push to improve worker safety and ensure employers take proactive steps to mitigate heat-related hazards across the construction industry and beyond.
Originally reported by Zachary Phillips, Senior Editor in Construction Dive.
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