5-Minute Guide: Preventing Worker Heat Illness & OSHA Compliance Risks

September 05, 2025•5 min read

5-Minute Guide to Workers Compensation Insurance - Worker Heat Related Illness Precautions

Intended Audience: Business Owners, Managers and Supervisors.

Heat Related Injury: Is the physical damage done to the human body by excessive heat such as organ or skin damage.
Heat Related Illness: Is the medical or clinical condition caused by excessive exposure to heat such as heat stroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion.
For this article, the term Heat Illness will be used generically to describe a heat related event.

So far this year, June & July have been amongst the hottest on record across most of the U.S.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety (NIOSH) considers a Combined Heat Index (the ambient air temperature combined with the air humidity level) of over 90-degrees to be potentially dangerous to work in.
Each year there are around 50-heat related worker fatalities and 5,000 serious illnesses requiring emergency treatment.
The average serious heat related illness can cost an employer around $79,000 in direct & indirect costs.
Employees exposed to high working temperatures both indoors & outdoors are known to have a high turnover rate, increased absenteeism and lower productivity levels.
The average OSHA citation for exposing employees to excessive heat is around $4,600 per violation and this can be substantially increased by having a multiple employee exposures at the same time.
Employers can be fined up to $162,000 per occurrence for intentionally exposing workers to excessive heat.
In extreme instances involving multiple workers, OSHA may issue citations for each employee present, called Instant-by-Instant (IBI) Citations.
In California in 2024, OSHA fined a landscaping contractor under the General Duty Clause $276,500 for willfully ignoring heat precautions for failing to provide it’s employees water, shade, training, and following proper heat related procedures.

OSHA currently does not does have a comprehensive Heat Standard but they plan to have one in effect by early 2026.
This proposed regulation is called the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings and would only be enforceable when the combined heat index reaches 80-degrees Fahrenheit or greater.
A major requirement under the new standard is that employers with more than ten employees must develop and maintain a written, site-specific Heat Illness & Injury Prevention Plan which addresses heat monitoring and emergency response protocols, among other requirements.
Until the new standard is implemented, OSHA continues to enforce what its inspector’s observe as heat related violations under its General Duty Clause.

Implement an Environmental Monitoring System that will keep track of ambient air temperature, humidity & the combined heat index.
Have Engineering Controls like hot weather clothing, shade & adequate ventilation and personal cooling devices.
Implement Management Controls like providing hot weather acclimatization periods for new hires, sufficient break periods and periodic job rotations.
Provide Hot Weather PPE to include hats, neck protection, sunscreen and cooling vests.
Provide employees with Hot Weather Awareness Training that covers the early recognition of heat exhaustion & heat stroke, individual worker precautions and coworker/supervisor emergency response.
Have a Heat Emergency Response Plan that includes emergency responder contacts, cold water, ice packs, and sunshade devices.

One to two cups of cold water at a 39-degree Fahrenheit temperature can begin to cool down the human body core temperature within 10 to 20-minutes.
Cold water, full body immersion can lower a core body temperature of over 100-degrees in as fast as 10-minutes.
Male outdoor workers should drink a minimum of 24-ounces of water every hour, but no more than 48-ounces over that same time period.
Sugary, caffeine or drinks containing alcohol should be avoided in hot weather work because they can elevate heart rates and blood pressure.
Wearing a hat in direct sunlight can reduce the radian heat gain with a person by up to 50%.
In hot, sunny conditions the temperature can be 9 to 18-degrees cooler in the shade.
Light colored, loose fitting clothing can reduce the amount of perceive heat by up to 9-degrees.
Foods consumed during hot weather lunch & break times should be in relatively small portions, high in moisture content (like fruits & berries), electrolyte rich (such as fruits & vegetables) and easily digestible (like salads, grilled fish/chicken, and grain based foods).

The use of Long Range Weather & Temperature Forecasting to limit outside work assignments.
Establish Hot Weather Warning Days to employees when the Heat Index is projected to exceed 90-degrees.
Use an Automated Hot Weather Monitoring Application like the OSHA/NIOSH Heat Index that be be download free of charge for Apple & Android mobile devices.
The increased use of Teamwork rather than individual work tasks.
Schedule Alternative Work to avoid high temperature days such as training classes, equipment/tool maintenance, or evening work.

For Additional Information or questions on this Subject, Contact Centurion’s Loss Control Manager, Rob Brooks, at:

This publication is intended for general educational purposes only, and is not to be considered as business, financial or legal advice.
Readers should consult with appropriate professionals before making any decisions based on the content of this newsletter.
Some of the data &/or statistics referenced within were obtained using artificial intelligence.
Centurion Insurance Services and the writer make no guarantees or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the reliability, completeness or suitability of the information contained herein.
We will not be liable for any losses or damages arising from the use of the information provided.

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