What changed in April
OSHA revised its National Emphasis Program for outdoor and indoor heat hazards on April 10, 2026. The directive refreshes targeted industries using newer data, reorganizes how a heat program is evaluated, and updates citation guidance. It also describes inspections on heat-priority days and where high-risk work is identified.
A national emphasis program guides enforcement and outreach. It does not turn every recommendation into a newly issued standard, and it should not be confused with OSHA's separate heat-rule proposal.
A wet job can still be a hot job
Exterior cleaning combines outdoor heat with physical work. Chemical-resistant clothing can reduce heat loss; paved or metal surfaces can reflect heat; and a new or returning worker may not be acclimatized. The temperature alone does not describe the total exposure.
OSHA's prevention material emphasizes evaluating conditions and workload, protecting new workers, and providing rest, shade, and fluids. Supervisors need authority to change pace, rotate work, move a job, or stop it when the plan no longer fits conditions.
Make the plan inspectable
- Forecast, heat advisory or warning, and the on-site condition check.
- Major tasks, expected workload, sun or radiant heat, and heat-retaining PPE.
- Which workers are new, returning, or otherwise not yet acclimatized.
- Cool drinking water, a shaded or cooled recovery area, and planned breaks.
- Buddy or supervisor monitoring, symptom training, first aid, emergency contacts, and transport.
- Changes made during the shift and who authorized them.
Utah employers should check the State Plan
The federal directive identifies State Plan action separately. Utah employers should use UOSH—not a generic national summary—to confirm how the state is implementing a federal program or requirement.
UOSH also offers voluntary, confidential consultation at no cost to employers. That creates a practical route for a small contractor to ask for help reviewing its written program before an incident or enforcement visit.