OSHA Revised Heat National Emphasis Program Overview

This article is a guide detailing OSHA's revised Heat National Emphasis Program (Heat NEP), effective April 10, 2026, which addresses outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards. The revised program introduces significant changes, including an updated list of targeted industries for inspections, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding heat-related illnesses and incidents from 2021 to 2024. The guide outlines the formalized inspection and citation procedures, emphasizing the mandatory outreach for newly targeted industries prior to inspections. Employers are advised to utilize the 90-day outreach period to enhance their heat illness prevention measures. The core recommendations for heat illness prevention remain unchanged, focusing on access to water, shade, rest, acclimatization, training, monitoring, and emergency response. The article also provides practical recommendations for employers to verify their targeting status, benchmark their programs, and prepare for inspections. Overall, the revised Heat NEP reflects OSHA's commitment to enforcing heat hazard safety in the workplace.