With summer almost upon us, Cal/OSHA's May 6, 2024, news release reminds employers to comply with heat illness prevention requirements.

Heat illness is a serious medical condition and includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, dizziness, weakness, nausea, heat stroke, convulsions, fainting, or even death.

Cal/OSHA advises six protective measures for outside workers:

• Plan - Have an effective written heat illness prevention plan, including emergency response procedures.
• Training - Train all employees and supervisors on health illness prevention.
• Water - Provide free, fresh, pure, suitably cool drinking water so each worker can drink at least one quart per hour and encourage workers to do so.
• Rest - Encourage cool-down rests in the shade for at least five minutes as needed to avoid overheating.
• Shade - Provide proper shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees and permit workers to cool off in the shade at any time upon request.
• Observe - Closely observe all employees during a heat wave, especially those newly assigned to a high heat area, and provide lighter work, frequent breaks or shorter hours to help acclimate.

Cal/OSHA Acting Chief Debra Lee stated: "Employers with outdoor workers should not wait to review their procedures on preventing heat illness and they should ensure their training is effective as possible."

Take-Aways:

Covered employers should comply with Cal/OSHA's heat illness prevention regulations and guidelines and monitor forthcoming indoor heat illness prevention regulations.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• Team Building Insurance - Workplace Policy Handbook & Forms for 2024 (May 22, 2024)
• Roast and Toast - Preventing Workplace Heat Illness (July 14, 2023)
• Mercury Management; Employers Must Protect Workers from Heat Illness (September 9, 2022)

Cindy Bamforth
May 30, 2024