Document ID: OSHA-2022-0002-0068
Agency: osha
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2022-09-15T04:00Z

September 13 2022  -  Full NACOSH Meeting
Task 1 Report  -  Kathleen Dobson Work Group Chair

       Reporting timeline  -  Monday September 19  -  There are about 12 weeks until mid-December. Anticipate 4  -  5 meetings during that time period to report out.
2.	Reiterate that OSHA has a lot of good material  -  some is outdated  -  there are broken links
3.	Not all material is bi (or multi) lingual
4.	Break out the information into each of the charges OSHA has asked of us
5.	Development of a full report to be delivered to the full NACOSH Committee in December.
6. 	Summary of charges and review to date:
Charge 1: Whether there are communication strategies or products that are useful for employers and workers that are not currently being employed by OSHA.
             Include that there is language in all communication documents referencing that employers have the responsibility to protect workers*** The working group believes this needs to be the single overarching item across all charges***
             A train-the-trainer program would be helpful for OSHA to evaluate and consider  -  i.e.; Salt Lake OSHA? CalOSHA - Train-the-Trainer (including links to other commonalities and interactivity with train-the-trainer processes - similar resources or elements of heat-illness prevention programs have been evaluated and shown to be effective)
             Worker-designated application (downloadable worker narratives)
                   Tool Box Talks/Pre-job briefings (how to address in industries outside of construction)	
                   Audio-visual material as additional communication strategy (cost/feasibility may be an issue) (examples: short clips, examples, controls, best practice resources)

Charge 2: Whether there are critical heat topics missing from materials, such as;

             Lack of information about indoor heat
                   Warehouse work - heat related incidents related to quotas and production rates (even at lower temperatures - ventilation and humidity) 
             Fluctuating weather conditions - major spikes up and down in temperatures and acclimatization issues	
                   History of longer, hotter summer temperatures (trending expected to continue)
             Other effects of heat other than heat illness, heat stroke, such as heart disease, asthma, COPD, dehydration - kidney disease, mental well-being, acute injuries - i.e.; falls )
             Productivity
             Lost work days
             Risk assessment and how to go about developing (reference: CAL IIPP), guidance materials (employer responsibility - guidance/guidance document needed) Hierarchy of controls
             Worker hydration - "food and fuel" to do the job (food & nutrition)
             Roles & responsibilities of employers and employees 
             Whistleblower information included with roles & responsibilities

Charge 3: Whether materials are accessible to the populations most at risk of hazardous heat exposure in outdoor and indoor work settings
             Analyzing what types of materials are being accessed (who and how do people access the materials) 
             At-risk populations should be made aware of materials? Leverage strategies below to disseminate information (Strategic partnerships, alliances) (compliance assistance specialists, OSHA QuickTakes, OSHA Office of Outreach)
             Community outreach and local markets, gatekeepers - i.e.; churches, libraries, community health centers (cooling centers), elementary and secondary schools near agriculture sites	

Charge 4: Whether existing guidance materials (including training and technical guidance) are up to date and align with current best practices in heat hazards and heat illness prevention.

             Some inconsistencies across documents  -  i.e.;
                   Symptoms
                   Hydration and be consistent across documents
                   Broken links in older documents
                   New evidence in cooling methods and messaging across all documents
             Technical review (aspects that are now out of date - new information, new scientific research)
             New scientific research
                   Physiological monitoring (i.e.; ACGIH)
                   Acclimatization 
                   Caffeinated beverages review and research
                   Respirators and masks related to thermal comfort and heat illness
                   Sun exposure (check science surrounding technical comments)
             Inclusion of physical health & risk factors (Avoiding "shaming" the worker for having a health issue - a kind of blame the worker for their lifestyle messaging and heat-related illnesses and differences in studies)
             Technical vs General Info - signs & symptoms, cooling mechanisms, acclimatization, etc.

Charge 5: If there are specific industries or audiences (e.g., employers, supervisors, employees) that would benefit from more tailored guidance materials

             Indoor workers
             Mobile work forces - waste recycling, delivery workers
             List out more unique workers
             Other industries with key supply-chain issues
             First Responders - wildland and structural 
             Organize by environmental or task characteristics vs industry only (i.e.; time sensitive industries where similar creative solutions could be shared)