Employer Responsibilities - Indoor Workplaces

Employers are responsible for providing a safe, controlled environment for workers. According to OSHA, when indoor environments involve high temperatures and humidity, employers must take actions to ensure that the temperatures remain at healthy levels. Indoor workplaces may be cooled by using air conditioning or increased ventilation, assuming that cooler air is available from the outside. Other methods to reduce indoor temperature include:

• Providing reflective shields to redirect radiant heat
• Insulating hot surfaces
• Decreasing water vapor pressure by sealing steam leaks and keeping floors dry

The use of fans to increase the air speed over the worker will improve heat exchange between the skin surface and the air, unless the air temperature is higher than the skin temperature. However, increasing air speeds above 300 feet per minute may actually have a warming effect. Industrial hygiene personnel can assess the degree of heat stress caused by the work environment and make recommendations for reducing heat exposure.

To learn more about Heat Stress visit our Heat Stress, Illness & Injury Safety Online Training web page.