As California continues to experience higher than normal temperatures, Cal/OSHA reminds employers to protect outdoor and indoor workers from heat illness.
The forecast sees highs reaching the upper 90s and above in the coming days.
| Bakersfield: 92-99° F | Palmdale: 86-95° F |
| Coachella: 97-104° F | Redding: 87-98° F |
| Fresno: 91-97° F | Riverside: 90-97° F |
| Imperial: 98-104° F | Sacramento: 87-99° F |
| Modesto: 89-98° F | San Bernardino: 91-99° F |
| Monrovia: 87-94° F | Stockton: 88-97° F |
Heat illness is a serious and potentially deadly hazard. Under Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Standards, employers are legally required to implement protective measures for outdoor and indoor workers. Employers may be covered under both the indoor and outdoor regulations if they have workers in each setting. See the Comparison Chart of Indoor and Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention Standards for more information.
Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment regulation applies to most indoor workplaces, such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities. For indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness. Some of the requirements include providing water, rest, cool-down areas, and training.
To prevent heat illness at outdoor worksites, the law requires employers to provide outdoor workers fresh water, access to shade (which must be in place when temperature are 80 degrees or higher) and, whenever requested by a worker, cool-down rest breaks in addition to regular breaks. In certain industries, when the temperature at outdoor worksites reaches or exceeds 95 degrees, Cal/OSHA’s standard requires additional protections. Industries with additional high-heat requirements include agriculture and the transportation of agricultural products. High-heat procedures include ensuring employees are observed regularly for signs of heat illness and establishing effective communication methods.
Employers in both settings must also maintain a written Heat illness prevention plan with effective training for supervisors to recognize the common signs and symptoms of heat illness, and what to do in case of an emergency.
Additional Resources
Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention special emphasis program includes enforcement of the heat standards as well as multilingual outreach and training programs for California’s employers and workers.
Details on heat illness prevention requirements and training materials are available online on Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention web page and the 99calor.org informational website. A Heat Illness Prevention online tool is also available on Cal/OSHA’s website.
Cal/OSHA has established the Heat Illness Prevention (HIP) Network, a voluntary partnership aimed at increasing awareness among employers and workers about the importance of preventing heat illness in California and the importance of taking steps to prevent work-related illnesses and fatalities. To join the HIP Network email [email protected].