What should be part of heat illness training?

Employers must train all employees, both supervisory and non-supervisory, on the policies and procedures established to comply with this regulation. Training must be provided before the beginning of work involving a risk of heat illness. This means that at a minimum training should be provided when an employee is hired, with refresher training as needed. Training that is given close in time to the hot season is more effective than training given during colder seasons without follow-up refresher training. As a best practice, some employers use a daily “tailgate meeting” approach, starting out each work day with a brief safety reminder about issues considered particularly relevant to the work to be performed that day.

There are additional topics that supervisors must be trained on, and the importance of supervisory training cannot be overstated. In addition to the elements required for employee training, the supervisor’s training must include:

• Complete mastery of the training content provided to the employees;
• The procedures the supervisor must follow to implement the company’s Heat Illness Prevention Plan;
• The procedures to follow when an employee exhibits or reports symptoms consistent with possible heat illness, including which steps to follow to provide first aid and immediate medical treatment; and
• How to monitor weather reports and how to respond to hot weather advisories.

All employees and supervisors must be trained on every detail of the employer's emergency response procedures.