How remote temperature monitoring can support your Heat Stress Readiness Plan
Healthcare workers in the United States are all too familiar with the increasing dangers of heat-related illnesses.
“Nearly 120,000 heat-related emergency room visits were recorded across the United States (in 2023), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” The New York Times reported recently in a story about the issue of the rise of heat-related emergencies.
While the nation’s healthcare workers have been busy tending to those who have fallen ill due to heat-related issues, the nation’s policymakers are focused on crafting regulations to protect workers from the increasingly serious threat of indoor heat at work.
Healthcare workers themselves are among those that the regulators seek to protect with these new regulations.
In a news release issued in July 2024, OSHA said that “the U.S. Department of Labor has released a proposed rule with the goal of protecting millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat.
If finalized, the proposed rule would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace.”
Similarly, in California, under increasing pressure from workers, Cal/OSHA issued a Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment regulation that applies to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities where temperatures can get high.
Sonicu is working with some of the largest and most respected organizations across California today to deploy simple and affordable temperature monitoring solutions that can play a crucial role in providing reliable, actionable data for health and safety professionals as well as front-line managers in their work to adhere to these strict new California policies.
“For indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness,” the State of California’s Department of Industrial Relations said. Some requirements include providing water, rest, cool-down areas, methods for cooling down the work areas under certain conditions, and training.
Keeping reliable and searchable heat index logs is also part of the regulatory policy.
Healthcare workers don’t just tend to those suffering from heat stress; they are also among the most vulnerable workers to suffer from such illnesses themselves.
“Healthcare professionals are often at risk of experiencing heat exhaustion and related illnesses during the hotter months or in environments with high temperatures,” according to Supplemental Health Care, a staffing firm for healthcare employers.
“The combination of working long hours in physically demanding settings and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) can increase opportunities for heat exhaustion or illness to develop.”
Heat stress is an increasingly important issue across various industries, especially in the wake of rising global temperatures.
While manufacturers, warehouses, agriculture, and logistics organizations are some of the most obvious industries regulators are focused on protecting, employers in the life sciences, pharmacies, healthcare, and food service industries must take proactive steps to mitigate the risks associated with heat exposure to their employees, ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations.
As OSHA continues to refine its guidelines and introduce new rules, companies must stay informed and implement strategies to safeguard worker health and ensure compliance.
This article will look at what companies in these sectors need to know about heat stress, explore the new OSHA rules, and highlight the importance of environmental and temperature monitoring systems to protect employees and prevent potential liabilities.
This video shows how employers leverage Sonicu’s monitoring system to track key conditions.
Heat stress refers to a situation where the body cannot cool itself effectively, leading to heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rashes.
The body maintains a stable temperature through a delicate balance of heat production and heat loss.
In hot environments or during physical exertion, the body dissipates heat mainly through sweat evaporation and increased blood flow to the skin.
When external conditions prevent the body from shedding excess heat, workers become susceptible to heat stress. The rising temperatures in nearly all parts of the country are prompting regulatory agencies to focus on heat stress as a new threat to employees that requires oversight.
The risks of heat stress vary depending on the industry:
OSHA provides comprehensive guidelines on heat stress, urging employers to take preventive measures to protect workers. These guidelines focus on identifying risk factors, monitoring worker health, and implementing control strategies to prevent heat-related illnesses.
In response to rising temperatures and the increasing frequency of heatwaves, OSHA has implemented new rules that hold employers more accountable for protecting workers from heat stress.
These rules are particularly relevant for industries with high-risk exposure, including life sciences, pharmacies, hospitals, and food service.
In 2022, OSHA launched its National Emphasis Program (NEP) focusing on heat-related hazards. This program aims to:
Under the new OSHA rules, employers must now develop formalized Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) for workplaces where heat hazards are prevalent.
A comprehensive HIPP should include:
Employers must review these plans periodically and update them in response to changing environmental conditions or workplace practices.
New OSHA guidelines emphasize the importance of heat stress monitoring. Companies must now monitor workplace temperatures and humidity levels, particularly during heatwaves or high-risk conditions. Furthermore, employers are required to maintain records of any heat-related incidents and corrective actions taken.
Heat-related illnesses are now part of OSHA’s injury and illness record-keeping requirements. This means that employers must report heat-related incidents that result in hospitalization or lost workdays.
The new OSHA rules require employers to implement acclimatization protocols, especially for new workers or those returning after an extended absence. Acclimatization allows workers to gradually adjust to working in hot environments, reducing the likelihood of heat-related illnesses.
Key aspects of acclimatization include:
Employers in life sciences, pharmacies, healthcare, and food service can leverage advanced technologies to comply with OSHA's heat stress regulations and enhance worker safety.
Wireless environmental monitoring systems, wearable devices, and remote wireless temperature monitoring systems sensors, like those from Sonicu, are key tools that help monitor temperature and humidity levels, track worker health, and send real-time alerts in case of dangerous conditions.
Wireless environmental monitoring systems can track temperature, humidity, and air quality across different areas of a workplace. These systems use sensors to provide real-time data on environmental conditions, allowing employers to identify heat hotspots and take corrective action.
In industries such as life sciences and pharmacies, where temperature-sensitive products are stored, these systems not only protect workers but also ensure product safety and compliance with regulatory requirements. For instance, monitoring the temperature in laboratories, freezers, and storage areas can prevent both heat-related worker illness and damage to temperature-sensitive products.
Wearable heat-monitoring devices, such as smart bands or body temperature sensors, help track workers’ physiological responses to heat. These devices can monitor core body temperature, heart rate, and sweat rate, alerting workers and supervisors when an individual is at risk of heat stress.
These wearables can be particularly useful for outdoor workers, delivery personnel, or employees working in confined spaces where temperatures may rise unexpectedly. Organizations looking to improve their data collection and preemptive monitoring to maximize employee protection may couple a wireless monitoring system like Sonicu with wearable sensors for employees in particularly risky environments.
By providing real-time alerts, these devices empower workers to take precautionary measures like hydrating or taking breaks before symptoms escalate. And all of these sensor options demonstrate to employees that organizations are taking the serious threat of heat stress.
Employers can also integrate automated heat stress alerts into their safety systems. These alerts can notify workers via mobile apps or other communication devices when environmental conditions exceed safe limits.
For instance, if the temperature or humidity levels in a kitchen, laboratory, or hospital laundry room reach dangerous levels, an automated alert system can notify the relevant teams to take immediate action, such as increasing ventilation or taking rest breaks.
Sonicu helps companies manage the risk of heat stress by delivering affordable and simple heat stress monitoring technology that employers can deploy rapidly and keep track of their heat stress situation from virtually anywhere.
You can learn more about how our software helps compliance professionals in these case studies:
Hamilton County, Indiana Health Department: Vaccine Monitoring
Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital: Pharmacy Monitoring for Remote Clinics
Nomi Health: Fast installation, simple deployment
For companies in any industry, complying with OSHA’s heat stress rules is not just about meeting regulatory requirements. It is about creating a safer workplace, improving employee well-being, and minimizing the risk of heat-related incidents. Employers should:
Heat stress is a serious concern for employers across the life sciences, pharmacies, healthcare, and food service sectors.
OSHA’s evolving regulations, including the NEP and mandatory HIPPs, require companies to take proactive measures to protect their workers.
By implementing proper training, monitoring environmental conditions, using technology to track worker health, and fostering a culture of safety, employers can prevent heat-related illnesses and ensure a compliant and safe work environment.
Adopting a comprehensive approach not only mitigates health risks but also improves employee productivity, morale, and overall workplace safety.
Sonicu can play an instrumental role in any heat-stress workplace program with our simple and affordable monitoring that is already trusted by scores of health and safety professionals working to protect employees from the dangers of heat-related workplace injuries.