![]() This ensures that employees can reach a supervisor quickly in a time of emergency. How can I prepare for and respond to the possibility of one of my employees experiencing heat illness?Įnsure communication by voice, observation, and electronic means are embedded in your emergency response plan. Equipment includes: water-cooled and air-cooled garments, wet over-garments, heat-reflective clothing, and supplied air personal cooling systems. This simple control measure should not be overlooked in terms of effectiveness. Reducing time and rate of productivity is another option considered to be effective at minimizing risk of heat illness. These controls include employee acclimatization, work schedule rotation, scheduling shifts during cooler times of day, updating work-rest schedules and required clothing, and the use of relief workers. Additional options include the use of fans, coolers, air conditioners, and ventilation (when outside temperatures are cooler than inside conditions). These include isolation of hot processes, insulation of hot surfaces, and shielding of workers from hot sources. The draft Standard outlines three (3) main ways employers can regulate indoor working temperatures. How do I regulate indoor temperatures for my employees? This rule is enforceable by Cal/OSHA and may be included within an employer's Illness and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP). The heat index equals or exceeds 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present orĮmployees wear clothing that restricts heat removal and the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit orĮmployees work in a high radiant heat work area and the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature equals or exceeds 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present or What is the Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard?Īccording to the most recent draft of California's Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard, work sites with the following conditions are subject to this rule: If these aforementioned life-threatening symptoms are experienced by you or another employee, emergency services should be contacted immediately. Severity of symptoms varies across individuals, with early symptoms including:Ĭal/OSHA states that life-threatening symptoms include: Heat Rash – most common symptom of working in hot environments. ![]() Heat Cramps – caused by the body's loss of water and salt can be experienced during or after work hours. ![]() Heat Exhaustion – how the body responds to a loss of water and salt. Heat Stroke – considered the most serious form of heat-related illnesses. The United States Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) identifies several heat-related illnesses, including: Since 2006, California's Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Department has maintained a Heat Illness Prevention Standard that addresses outdoor heat illness the Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard was created to protect workers from the dangers of working in high indoor temperatures.Īs climate change threatens to increase temperatures in arid climates such as California, it is important for employers to understand the severity of both outdoor and indoor heat illness.
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