OSHA does not have a single, strict maximum temperature limit for indoor work. However, employers are legally required to protect workers from extreme heat hazards under the General Duty Clause. To prevent heat stress, specific safety requirements trigger based on the indoor heat index (how hot it feels when humidity is factored in).
A temperature of 80°F triggers the OSHA heat safety requirements. When the combined heat and humidity reaches 80°F, employers must provide water and rest breaks. If the heat index climbs to 90°F, stricter rules apply.
A good approach to identifying hazards is to use the 20 – 20 - 20 approach. This is further defined as: Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look 20 feet around you actively searching for any hazards that may exist in your work area. As hazards are identified, they must be EVALUATED.
Hot work shall not be performed in a confined space until a designated person has tested the atmosphere and determined that it is not hazardous. Fire protection. To the extent possible, hot work shall be performed in designated locations that are free of fire hazards.
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There are various informal guides to safe working temperatures, and generally, the acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most types of work lies between 16 degrees C - 24 degrees C (about 61 - 72 F).
C. PSI & SSI Hot Work is prohibited if air monitoring readings are ≥10% of the LEL. A. Initial air monitoring shall be performed by an Authorized Gas Tester surveying at least a 35-foot radius from the point of the hot work for all Class 1 Areas.
Common hot work processes are welding, soldering, cutting, grinding and brazing. A hot work permit is required for hot work operations unless working in designated 'fire safe' area (e.g. welding shop).
How quickly must each injury or illness be recorded? You must enter each recordable injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Report within seven (7) calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness has occurred.
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Employers should help workers understand the four P's of safety — people, places, personal protective equipment (PPE), and personal accountability. Learning new safety rules and job duties can create anxiety for new employees.
Answer: OSHA does not require employers to provide heat or air conditioning for work spaces. OSHA does recommend temperature control in the range of 68-76°F.
Health Risks of Room Temperatures
Home temperatures between 64–75° F are generally considered safe and pose no health risks for adults with appropriate clothing and normal humidity conditions.
It requires employers to adopt safety measures when indoor temps reach 82 degrees Fahrenheit. But federally, there are no specific limits. That doesn't mean you have no heat stress rights. Regulators design workplace safety regulations to cover all sorts of hazards.
OSHA hot work permit requirements include a fire watch whenever hot work is conducted in areas where fire hazards cannot be completely eliminated. Fire watch personnel must be trained to recognize and respond to fire hazards. They should also remain in the area during the hot work.
Safety regulations often define hazardous atmospheres in terms of LEL. For instance, OSHA guidelines consider any confined space atmosphere at or above 10% of the LEL to be dangerous. Even below 10% LEL, the atmosphere isn't “safe” — a reading of, say, 5% LEL indicates a leak is present and could worsen.
If on the technical data sheet of a detector you find the indication "alarm threshold 10% LEL", means that the alarm will be triggered when the gas concentration reaches 10% of the minimum explosive value.
Am I protected in law if I leave work or refuse to attend work because I am too hot? In sum, not necessarily. If you and your colleagues are too hot at work, your priority should be to notify the employer and insist that they act to reduce the risks.
There's no law for maximum working temperature, or when it's too hot to work, because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces high temperatures are not seasonal but created by work activity, for example in bakeries or foundries.
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