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Dangerous heat exposure is a serious risk on farms<\/a>, in food processing facilities, and in restaurants<\/a>, and has been getting worse<\/a> due to climate change.<\/p>\n Under former President Joe Biden, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) created<\/a> a Heat National Emphasis Program in 2022, which set a goal for each region to double their heat inspections.<\/p>\n Between 2022 and 2024, the program led to a significant increase<\/a> in the number of heat-related inspections conducted. OSHA conducted<\/a> 7,000 inspections annually, compared to 200 annually between 2015 and 2020, and a larger percentage were preventative rather than in response to a worker death.<\/p>\n The program expired this month, prompting the revision by the Trump administration. Administration officials retained the majority of the previous text on the program\u2019s goals, stating that the aim \u201cis to reduce or eliminate worker exposures to heat-related hazards that result in illnesses, injuries, and death.\u201d<\/p>\n They said OSHA will continue to target worksites where employees are exposed to extreme heat and are not provided with adequate protection. However, they removed specific inspection goals previously included.<\/p>\n In an email to supporters, United Farm Workers Digital Director Jocelyn Sherman said the change would put farmworkers\u2019 lives at risk. \u201cIn this time of climate change and rising temperatures, it is terrifyingly unclear whether OSHA will still proactively inspect hot worksites,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n OSHA did not respond to Civil Eats\u2019 request for comment on why the inspection targets were removed, but in a news release, the agency said that compliance officers \u201cwill continue to conduct outreach and compliance assistance and expand any inspection where there is evidence of heat-related hazards on heat priority days.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n