Protect Your Workers as California Heats Up

Temperatures are rising, with triple digits forecasted across California. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reminds employers to protect workers at outdoor and indoor workplaces from heat illness, which can be dangerous and deadly. This means employers should have their California-compliant heat illness prevention plans and procedures ready to go for summer’s hot temperatures.

Occupational heat-related deaths have been on the rise; in California, heat-related illnesses have increased from about 3.5 per 100,000 workers in 2000 to 10 per 100,000 workers in 2017, despite the heat illness prevention regulations being permanently implemented in 2006.

While outdoor workplaces have been subject to heat illness prevention regulations, employers should be aware that, as of last July, California’s heat illness prevention standard also applies to indoor workplaces. The indoor regulations largely mirror the outdoor standards, but outdoor regulations are triggered when temperatures reach 80 °F, while indoor regulations apply when temperatures reach 82 °F.

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.

Mike McCluskey, Senior Technical Editor, CalChamber

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.