Following the issuance of excessive heat warnings for many areas throughout California by the National Weather Service’s issuance, Cal/OSHA sent out a notice reminding employers to protect their outdoor workers from heat illness. The greater San Diego area and the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles as well as cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are expected to experience 100+ degree weather this week.

According to the release, California’s heat regulation requires all employers with outdoor workers to protect them by taking these basic steps:

• Train all employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention.
• Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart, or four 8-ounce glasses, of water per hour, and encourage them to do so.
• Provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least 5 minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
• Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.

Employers must also review or create plans to monitor employees in high-heat conditions by instituting one of the following: a 1 supervisor-to-20 or fewer employees ratio; a mandatory buddy system; or a consistent practice for supervisors to check in with employees. In addition, agricultural employers must provide employees with 10-minute cool-down rest periods every 2 hours, which must be treated as paid rest and recovery periods.

Read the full release HERE.

For more information on heat illness regulations, contact Jason Resnick at (949) 885-2253.