Heat Illness Prevention Program
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has instituted a National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards, which establishes requirements to protect workers in indoor or outdoor environments where the temperature or heat index meets or exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the Division of Safety & Compliance (S&C), this may be the first time you have been formally involved in an OSHA program and the amount of information may seem overwhelming. With that in mind, the Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) team created the Quick Start Guide below to help understand roles and responsibilities.
This is not a comprehensive document that outlines everything you must do in detail; it is a high-level explanation of roles and responsibilities, references with brief explanations of the information they provide, and links to the program and other associated university documents that are available. The OSH team hopes that you will find this information useful as you learn and address these newly outlined responsibilities.
Quick Start Guide
Roles & Responsibilities
Deans, Department Heads, and Directors (Campus Units)
Campus units with employees who are or may be exposed to temperatures or heat indices at or above 80°F (26°C) are responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of local programs. To accomplish this, deans, department heads, and directors should:
- Review the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Heat Illness Prevention Program document
- Designate a Responsible Person for each applicable work location with high temperature exposure.
- Ensure the Responsible Person has the authority and resources necessary to implement the requirements of this program.
- Support the development and enforcement of unit-specific requirements as they pertain to this program.
Designated Responsible Person(s)
The Designated Responsible Person serves as the primary coordinator for unit-level implementation of the Heat Illness Prevention Program. The individual(s):
- Review the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Heat Illness Prevention Program document
- Collaborate with supervisors, managers, and Principal investigators (PIs) to identify employees whose work activities may be affected by this program.
- Inform unit management of existing and emerging heat-related hazards that may affect new or current employees.
- Ensure that all unit-specific standard operating procedures and job hazard assessments/analyses are developed and maintained for tasks where employees may be exposed to temperatures or heat indices at or above 80°F (26°C).
- Verify that appropriate engineering, administrative, and work-practice controls are implemented.
- Verify that all affected employees receive required training. Basic workplace heat stress training is available on the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Training Portal.
- Ensure employees understand and fulfill their responsibilities under the program.
- Document and report:
- Heat-related illnesses and incidents.
- Corrective actions resulting from such events.
- Program updates or revisions.
- Employee deficiencies in following program requirements or demonstrating understanding of previously provided training.
Supervisors, Managers, and Principal Investigators (PIs)
Supervisors, managers, and Principal Investigators are responsible for the day-to-day implementation and enforcement of this program for all employees under their direction. These individuals shall:
- Review the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Heat Illness Prevention Program document
- Assist with implementation and enforcement based on direction from the Designated Responsible Person and support from unit leadership.
- Participate in the development and implementation of applicable standard operating procedures and job hazard assessments/analyses.
- Ensure affected employees complete both general and unit-specific training. Basic workplace heat stress training is also available on the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Training Portal.
- Monitor and audit work activities for compliance with this and other applicable regulatory programs.
- When necessary, apply the Performance Partnership Program (PPP) or other applicable unit-specific corrective action or disciplinary processes.
Faculty, Staff, and Student Workers
To maximize their safety, faculty, staff, and student workers have a responsibility to follow the requirements established by this program and their respective units. Affected employees shall:
- Report heat-related hazards, symptoms, illnesses, or concerns to their supervisor immediately.
- Follow all requirements of this program, applicable standard operating procedures, and heat illness prevention procedures as directed by your unit leadership and/or supervisor.
- Attend and complete any required training before performing affected work activities as directed by your supervisor. Basic workplace heat-stress training is also available on the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation training portal.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
OSH is responsible for establishing and maintaining the overall Heat Illness Prevention Program. Specifically, OSH shall:
- Create and maintain the base program document and all associated appendices.
- Develop and maintain general training materials that meet or exceed applicable state and federal OSHA requirements.
- Designate a Program Coordinator responsible for:
- Guiding implementation.
- Interpreting applicable regulatory requirements.
- Offering general assistance and support to campus units.
- Reviewing and updating the program, associated documents, and training materials at least annually and whenever regulatory changes occur.
Together, these roles establish a shared responsibility framework in which OSH provides program oversight, campus units implement local requirements, supervisors enforce compliance, and employees actively participate in heat illness prevention efforts.
Additional Helpful Resources
- The complete OSHA NEP is where you can find various information about its release, as well as any updates or changes that were made to it. This document also contains other information such as resources concerning enforcement, documentation, and citation guidance.
- A compilation of various resources from various state and federal websites concerning state run regulatory heat programs as well as information on the current NEP.
