Protect Workers During October Heat Wave

Even though it is October, parts of Southern and Northern California are under extreme heat warnings or heat advisories through Friday morning. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reminds employers to implement cool-down areas, rest breaks and access to drinking water for employees.

In Southern California, temperatures are expected to range from the mid-90s along the coast to as high as 107 in the valleys during the day. Heat advisories have also been issued for certain areas of the Bay Area where temperatures are expected to be up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit as well as the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley, with highs of 94 to 100 degrees.

Heat illness is a serious and potentially fatal workplace hazard. California employers are legally required to protect workers from heat-related illness in both indoor and outdoor workplaces. Cal/OSHA’s indoor heat illness regulation applies to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. When the temperature in an indoor workplace reaches 82 degrees, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness. Employers may be covered by both the indoor and outdoor regulations if they have workers in each setting.

To comply with heat illness prevention regulations and prevent heat illness in workers, employers need to:

• Plan — Develop and implement an effective written heat illness prevention plan that includes emergency response procedures.
• Train — Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention.
• Provide Water — Provide drinking water that is fresh, pure, suitably cool and free of charge, so each worker can drink at least one quart per hour and encourage workers to do so.
• Encourage Rest — Encourage workers to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so to protect themselves from overheating. Workers should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
• Provide Shade — Provide proper shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Workers have the right to request and be provided shade to cool off at any time.
• Observe — Closely observe all employees during a heat wave and any employee newly assigned to a high heat area. Lighter work, frequent breaks or shorter hours will help employees who have not been working in high temperatures adapt to the new conditions.

Employers can find more detailed information on heat illness prevention requirements at www.99calor.org and Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention website.

CalChamber members can use the Heat Illness Prevention Plan — Indoor Employees and Heat Illness Prevention Plan — Outdoor Employees to develop your company’s plan and procedures for complying with Cal/OSHA regulations on heat illness for outdoor workers. The form is also available in Spanish for both indoor and outdoor workers.

CalChamber members can also read more about Avoiding Heat Illness in the HR Library. Not a member? See what CalChamber can do for you.