Overview
- OSHA’s revised heat directive took effect April 10, 2026, two days after the prior program expired, and it will run for five years.
- Enforcement targeting now covers 55 industries, with 22 added, 46 removed, and 33 retained based on recent injury, illness, and hospitalization data.
- Employers newly added to the targeting list will receive a mandatory 90-day outreach period before programmed heat inspections begin.
- Inspectors will follow new appendices that standardize heat-program reviews and citation steps, including documenting heat index, official heat alerts, wind, and humidity.
- Programmed inspections will key off National Weather Service heat advisories or days at or above a heat index of 80°F, and OSHA can also open unprogrammed cases when it receives complaints or sees hazards under its general duty clause.