Worker Protection from Heat Stress: Now More Than Ever, It's Up to Employers to Do The Right Thing

Business Upturn

13-06-2025

St. Paul, MN, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With federal cost-cutting and deregulation reshaping workplace safety oversight, the responsibility to protect workers from extreme heat is falling squarely on employers. While OSHA's National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Heat Stress has been extended for another year, the long-anticipated federal heat stress standard is looking less likely than ever. That means worksites will need to rely on existing guidance, industry best practices, and—more than anything—their own commitment to doing what's right.
'The reality is, a federally mandated heat stress standard in the U.S. may not happen anytime soon,' says Greg Schrab, President at Ergodyne, a leader in safety work gear and heat stress prevention. 'But regulation should never be the reason we protect workers. Employers don't need a federal rule to tell them that heat stress is dangerous, or that simple, proven solutions can save lives.'
With extreme heat becoming a predictable threat year after year, safety professionals are stepping up where federal regulations fall short—turning to resources like OSHA's NEP, ANSI/ASSP A10.50-2024, state regulations, and industry safety leaders to build and reinforce heat stress prevention programs that work.
From implementing hydration and rest schedules to providing personal cooling gear, the industry's best practices are well-documented. The challenge for many employers isn't knowing what to do—it's making sure it gets done.
Randy Milliron, Safety Manager for the City of Gillette, Wyoming, agrees. He points to time-tested basics as the foundation of his program. 'It will sound so rudimentary, but if you keep to the classics you can safely work outside when the thermostat starts to rise. Drinking plenty of fluids, monitoring urine output and color, taking breaks in the shade, and looking out for your co-workers are the key things to help you stay cool and hydrated.'
To help worksites put prevention into practice, Ergodyne is expanding its cooling gear and heat stress solutions with new advancements in wearable cooling, flame-resistant cooling PPE, and turnkey heat stress prevention kits. But gear is only part of the equation. The St. Paul, MN-based worksite safety leader and cooling category pioneer is in the field working alongside employers to provide on-site education in support of company heat stress prevention programs.
'Unless you are attending safety conferences and rubbing elbows with the vendors who provide this type of PPE, you might not know of all the advancements that have been made in these product lines,' Milliron says. 'So, I believe it is necessary, if you are a safety professional, to find those subject-matter experts who specialize in cooling products and create long-lasting friendships with them.'
Milliron has seen firsthand how proactive prevention can make a difference. 'Last summer we had a seasonal employee try to work through the early signs and symptoms of heat illness. By the time I arrived, he was in bad shape. We moved him into the air-conditioned office and applied ice packs and a cooling towel to his groin and neck. It took a very long time for his symptoms to subside, but the cooling towel did the trick at lowering his core body temperature.'
By leveraging proven cooling solutions and industry-backed guidance, safety leaders can make sure their teams stay safe, stay productive, and stay protected—regardless of what happens at the federal level.
'In the absence of federal action, it's up to employers to step up,' says Lexi Engelbart, Product Manager at Ergodyne and Vice Chair of the International Safety Equipment Association's (ISEA) Heat Stress Solutions Group. 'Not because they have to, but because it's the right thing to do.'
For more heat stress education, including signs, symptoms, and solutions, visit ergodyne.com/heat-stress.
ABOUT ERGODYNE
Since 1983, Tenacious Holdings, Inc. (dba Ergodyne, a Klein Tools Company) has pioneered the development of products that Make The Workplace A Betterplace™. What started with just one product has grown into a line of top flight, battle-tested, Tenacious Work Gear®; all precision crafted to provide protection, promote prevention and manage the elements for workers on jobsites the world over. The current lineup is extensive and constantly growing: ProFlex® Hand Protection, ProFlex® Knee Pads, ProFlex® Supports, Skullerz® Head & Face Protection, Skullerz® Eye Protection, Trex® Traction, KREW'D® Skin Protection, Chill-Its® Cooling Products, N-Ferno® Warming Products, GloWear® Hi-Vis Apparel, Squids® Lanyards, Arsenal® Gear and Tool Storage, and SHAX® Portable Work Shelters.
Originally posted on: www.ergodyne.com
Attachment New Heat Stress Hazard Solutions
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