On April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a significant update to its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Outdoor and Indoor Heat‑Related Hazards, originally issued in April 2022. The revised NEP is designed to better focus OSHA’s inspection, outreach, and compliance‑assistance resources on workplaces where employees face the greatest risk of heat‑related illness and injury. Using updated OSHA and Bureau of Labor Statistics data from calendar years 2022 through 2025, the agency identified 55 high‑risk industries, spanning both indoor and outdoor work environments, with elevated rates of heat‑related illnesses or prior heat‑related citations and hazard alert letters.
The updated NEP refines how OSHA deploys enforcement resources and conducts inspections. Under the revised program, compliance officers will continue outreach and compliance‑assistance efforts and may expand inspections whenever evidence of heat‑related hazards is identified on heat priority days. In addition, OSHA will now conduct random inspections focused specifically on heat hazards in high‑risk industries on days when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or warning, increasing the likelihood of enforcement activity during extreme heat events. The update removes outdated background information and the prior numerical inspection goal, while adding two reorganized appendices — one providing guidance on evaluating employer heat‑illness prevention programs and another addressing citation considerations — intended to improve enforcement consistency and tracking.
The revised NEP is effective immediately and will remain in place for five years from the effective date. OSHA emphasized that heat illness remains a persistent and preventable hazard leading to serious injuries and fatalities each year, particularly in industries with physically demanding work or limited climate control. Alongside enforcement, OSHA will continue to emphasize education and outreach through industry and labor stakeholders, alliance partners, and the media. Employers (especially those in high‑risk industries) are encouraged to review and strengthen heat‑illness prevention measures, including access to water, rest, shade or cooling, acclimatization practices, and training. Small‑ and medium‑sized employers may also seek assistance through OSHA’s On‑Site Consultation Program, which provides free and confidential guidance on developing effective strategies to prevent heat‑related injuries and illnesses.