July 2023 may go down as the hottest month in recorded history, with half of Americans suffering under heat watches and warnings as heat indexes in some parts of the country top 100°F for days on end.

To aid those who have to work in these sweltering conditions, President Biden announced new actions to protect workers from extreme heat. He also directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue the first-ever Hazard Alert for Heat, increase enforcement when workers are exposed to heat hazards and increase inspections for high-risk industries like construction and agriculture. These federal protections, which complement local regulations, will fulfill OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on heat-related hazards, with a particular focus on the industries and geographic regions with the most vulnerable workers.

The hazard alert President Biden requested that OSHA issue makes sure employers follow current standards and ensures that employees are aware of their rights. It underscores that federal law provides heat-related protection to workers.

OSHA is continuing to develop a national standard for workplace heat safety rules originally initiated in 2021. While a workplace heat standard has been a priority for the DOL for some time, according to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, “rulemaking takes time and working people need help now.”

Therefore, as OSHA moves toward a rule protecting workers from heat illness, Doug Parker, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health at the DOL, says the administration is taking measures to protect those laboring in extreme heat now. “Employers have a duty to protect workers by reducing and eliminating hazards that expose workers to heat illness or injury,” he said.

“Historically high temperatures impact everyone and put our nation’s workers at high risk,” Su said, adding that this alert serves as a reminder to employers of their obligation to protect workers against heat illness or injury in both outdoor and indoor settings.

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in America. Farmers and farmworkers, firefighters and construction workers are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 400 workers have died due to environmental heat exposure since 2011, with thousands more hospitalized every year. Between 2011 and 2019, there were an annual average of 38 heat-related deaths and 2,700 cases involving heat illnesses that led to days of work lost.

While Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has urged Congress to expand the definition of a federal emergency to include heat, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken steps to strengthen communities’ heat response and resilience nationwide, such as by providing billions of dollars through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make buildings more energy efficient and to open cooling centers to keep residents safe.