California’s Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard Approved: What You Need to Know

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved new requirements for California businesses, heat illness prevention for indoor work spaces. The new Section 3396 addition to the California Labor Code will go into effect as early as August 1, 2024.

 The law states that requirements apply to “all indoor work areas where the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present.”

 For work environments such as warehouses, restaurants, and manufacturing plants, temperatures can rise dangerously high, putting employees at risk for heat illness. Let’s take a look into the new requirements for employers. 

1. Provide access to cool-down areas, and encourage employees to take cool-down rests.

2. Provide access to potable water that is fresh, suitably cool, free of charge, and located as close as possible to indoor cool-down area.

3. Monitor employee symptoms and provide appropriate first aid and emergency response if they exhibit or report signs of heat illness.

4. Closely observe new employees for the first 14 days of employment as they acclimatize.

5. Provide employees and supervisors with training on topics such as heat risk factors, symptoms of heat illness, water consumption, and emergency procedures.

6. Establish, implement and maintain a written Heat Illness Prevention plan for the work environment.

Some additional requirements also apply when the temperature or heat index reaches or exceeds 87 degrees while employers are present, or the temperature reaches or exceeds 82 degrees and employees wear clothing that restricts heat removal or they work in a high radiant heat area.

 In these cases, employers need to maintain records of their indoor temperature or heat index. They also must initiate engineering, administrative, and personal control measures to reduce the indoor working environment and maintain it below 87 degrees.

 As temperatures continue to soar in many parts of California, employers with employees working indoors in high heat conditions should evaluate their current heat policies to ensure they comply with these impending labor law changes.

 For further information about indoor heat illness prevention compliance, clients should refer to the Cal/OSHA website, which offers resources employers can utilize, including a Sample Written Heat Illness Prevention Plan for Indoor and Outdoor Places of Employment (Model Program). 

Staying Safe While the Weather Heats Up

Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As temperatures continue to rise across the country, it is important for landscape companies to take proper precautions while working in the heat of summer. Heat-related illnesses are very much preventable if the proper safety steps are in place.

First, companies must implement a heat illness prevention plan and comply with local, state and federal regulations to ensure employees remain safe while working in heat.

One of the most common symptoms of heat illness is dehydration. When employees are out working in hot conditions, it is imperative the crew leader or supervisor makes the crew take regular breaks to get properly hydrated. Even if employees say they are not thirsty, a supervisor needs to insist they have some water. By the time a person feels thirsty, they’re already dehydrated. Remembering to schedule breaks throughout the work day can have a positive impact on controlling heat-related illnesses.

Another way landscape companies are staying safe as the weather heats up is to make sure they are acclimatizing their employees. This is especially important for all new hires. The best way to acclimatize these employees is to gradually increase the amount of work they are doing over a 14-day period when temperatures start to heat up. By doing this, you are allowing employees’ bodies to get used to working in such hot conditions, and thus, lowering the chances of having any heat-related illnesses.

To beat the heat, landscape companies can implement alternative schedules that allow employees to start their work day earlier. If a crew normally gets out to a job site at 8 a.m., the alternative schedule would send the crew out an hour earlier, during the hot months. This allows more work to be done earlier in the morning when temperatures have not reached the daily high. This also allows crews to get done with work an hour earlier, thus getting employees off job sites when temperatures are at their highest.

These are just some examples of how landscape companies are doing their best to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Heat illness prevention is just one of the topics available in Rancho Mesa’s RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program . Clients are encouraged to complete the course and implement a Heat Illness Prevention Plan that complies with OSHA standards.

Six Proactive Steps to Prevent Heat Illness During a Scorching Summer

Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The National Weather Service has issued heat warnings for many parts of California starting today, and excessive heat warnings for some other areas. Temperatures are expected to rise to 110ºF in some parts of the Sacramento Valley, for instance. In the desert areas of Imperial and San Diego counties, they will soar as high as 114ºF.

Recommendation

If you have employees working outdoors, you should have an effective heat illness prevention plan in place and train your workers on it's content. Elements of the plan include:

1. Making sure those toiling outside have plenty of fresh, cool water – workers need to drink at least a quart an hour. Just providing it isn’t enough, according to the heat illness prevention standard (General Industry Safety Orders section 3395). You must encourage employees to drink water.
2. Providing shade when the temperature reaches 80ºF, or when employees request it. 
3. If an employee is in danger of developing heat illness, they must be allowed to take a rest in the shade until their symptoms disappear.
4. Having emergency procedures, including effective communication with workers in remote areas.
5. Designating employees at each work site to call emergency medical services if someone starts to develop heat illness.
6. Keeping a close eye on workers who have been on the job for two weeks or less. They may not have the prior training to be aware of the early signs of heat illness.

In order to prepare our clients, Rancho Mesa recently conducted a Heat Illness Prevention Workshop. For those of you who were not able to attend, the training videos are available in the Risk Management Center or via the Workshop Video Request Form.

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact a member of your Rancho Mesa team. Please be safe!!