President Joe Biden told the Labor Department on Thursday to issue an alert for extreme heat and to ramp up workplace safety enforcement as scorching temperatures engulf much of the country.

This summers heat has created dangerous conditions for millions of workers who toil outdoors or in hot facilities like warehouses. Dozens of U.S. workers die every year on average due to heat exposure, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and safety advocates fear the numbers will increase as climate change makes heat waves longer and more intense.

The Biden administration said it will call on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is part of the Labor Department, to increase safety inspections in high-risk fields, including construction and agriculture, in the coming weeks. The White House said its hazard alert will reaffirm that workers have heat-related protections under federal law.

Although OSHA can fine employers for exposing workers to dangerous levels of environmental heat, there is no specific rule mandating what companies must do to protect their employees, such as offer reasonable rest breaks and adequate shade. A large number of workplace safety and environmental groups as well as a former OSHA leader have been calling on the Biden administration to issue clear and enforceable rules as soon as possible.

The White House said in a statement Thursday that OSHA will continue to develop a national standard for workplace heat-safety rules.