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Maintaining a safe work environment may be more challenging than employers think, especially if workers are being exposed to hot temperatures. Heat stress is caused by a number of interacting factors, including environmental conditions, clothing, workload, and the individual characteristics of the worker. Whether it’s the result of seasonal fluctuations or the type of work performed, extreme temperatures can affect the body’s natural ability to handle heat, which can lead to heat illness. Since everyone reacts differently to heat, it is difficult to predict who will be affected. Although encouraging employees to drink fluids and take frequent rest breaks are important, you cannot overlook other methods to protect employees from heat exposure.
The heat illness prevention regulation, Title 8 CCR 3395, applies to all outdoor places of employment. This includes employees in industries such as agriculture; construction; landscaping; oil and gas extraction; and transportation or delivery of agricultural products, construction materials, or other heavy materials (i.e. furniture, lumber, freight, cargo, cabinets, industrial or commercial materials). There is an exception for employment that consists of operation an air-conditioned vehicle and does not include loading or unloading.
Although Title 8 CCR 3395 is not applicable to indoor work environments, Cal/OSHA says that employers with employees near sources of heat or inside buildings with limited cooling capabilities must ensure that their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) is effective and in writing. This means that the IIPP must ensure that work areas with risk of heat illness have been identified and evaluated, and appropriate corrective measures and training have been implemented to protect workers. The IIPP regulation at Title 8 CCR 3203 directs employers to address all health or safety hazards within their worksite — including heat illness. Other regulations that apply include, but are not limited to: Title 8 CCR 3363 Water Supply, and Title 8 CCR 3400 Medical Services and First Aid.
Another law to be aware of when it comes to heat illness prevention is 226.7 of the Labor Code. This law has been updated with requirements that make it against the law to require an employee to work during a meal or rest or recovery period — including the cooldown period that must be afforded to an employee to prevent heat illness.
In general, the standard requires covered employers to provide for: