Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator Megan Lockhart talk about employers’ chance to participate in developing OSHA’s Heat Safety Standard.

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www.osha.gov/heat/sbrefa

Director/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Megan Lockhart

Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

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Transcript

[Introduction Music]

Alyssa Burley: Hi! This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa’s Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today’s top Rancho Mesa news brought to you by our safety and risk management network, StudioOne™. Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’re going to talk about employers’ chance to participate in developing OSHA’s Heat Safety Standard. Megan, welcome to the show.

Megan Lockhart: Yeah, thanks for having me.

AB: For listeners who are new to workplace safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is referred to as OSHA. There is a federal OSHA that develops and enforces the minimum standards for all states, except the states that have their own programs. For us in California, our state program is called Cal/OSHA. And, the biggest difference between federal OSHA and a state OSHA is that the state program must meet the minimum standards set by federal OSHA, but the state program can, and often is, much stricter than what is required by the feds. We often see this in California where our workplace safety standards are more regulated than in other states. So, today we’re going to talk about federal OSHA, not a state-specific OSHA program. Megan, will you tell us what OSHA is doing with regards to a workplace Heat Safety Standard?

ML: yeah, so, currently, OSHA is developing a potential standard for workplaces in which the agency has jurisdiction. So, these standards wouldn’t directly apply to states like California and others that have their own state programs. However, states with their own OSHA programs would need to at least meet the standards set by federal OSHA. These standards would prevent heat illness and injury in outdoor and indoor environments in general industry and in the construction, maritime and agricultural industries. So, Rancho Mesa clients in states that are under the federal OSHA’s jurisdiction would be affected by a new standard.

AB: So, how can employers participate in the development of this new potential heat illness prevention standard?

ML: Yeah, as part of its process, OSHA is holding Small Business Advocacy Review Panel meetings this summer to gather views on the potential effects of a heat standard on small businesses. The panel will be comprised of representatives from OSHA, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, and the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

AB: Who can participate in these review panel meetings?

ML: While the panel welcomes representatives from any industry, the group is interested particularly in collecting input from industries the agency expects would be most affected most by a heat standard. These industries include agriculture, construction, landscaping, manufacturing, oil and gas, warehousing, waste management, utilities, and food service, specifically in restaurant kitchens. So, this would definitely affect our clients.

AB: How can business owners and safety managers participate in these meetings?

ML: The meetings will be held in teleconferences where small businesses can share concerns and discuss current practices for protecting their employees from heat-related illnesses and injuries. The panel is also seeking input on how new heat regulations might impact their workplace operations or local business communities. And, these discussions will be open to the public.

AB: And, we can include a link in the episode notes to the website where people can get information about joining these meetings. I hope our listeners decide to participate in the discussion and provide their input on this topic. In California, we’ve had a heat illness prevention standard for nearly 20 years, so I think there is plenty of information out there and examples of what actually works. Megan, thanks for sharing this information and joining me in StudioOne™.

[Outro Music]

ML: Of course, thanks for having me!

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.