California Amended Heat Illness Regulations Effective May 1

Posted

UPDATE: Cal/OSHA issued a high heat advisory today (June 16) advising employers to protect employees against the risks associated with heat illness. Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 25 degrees above normal in Southern California through Monday.

California’s Heat Illness Prevention Regulation was amended effective May 1, 2015. This regulation applies to all “outdoor places of employment” and to five enumerated industries: (1) agriculture, (2) construction, (3) landscaping, (4) oil and gas extraction, and (5) transportation or delivery of agricultural products, construction materials or other heavy materials (e.g. furniture, lumber, freight, cargo, cabinets, industrial or commercial materials), except for employment that consists of operating an air-conditioned vehicle and does not include loading or unloading. On May 14, 2015, the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and Cal/OSHA published a Guidance for Employers and Employees on the New Requirements (May 14, 2015), which is designed to provide guidance to employers and employees on how to implement the new requirements. On the same day, the DIR published a Heat Illness Prevention Enforcement Q&A . The new regulation requires, among other things, pre-shift meetings to review the high heat procedures, encourage employees to drink plenty of water and remind employees of their right to take a cool-down rest when necessary, the implementation of effective emergency response procedures, and the establishment, implementation and maintenance of a Heat Illness Prevention Plan.

Additional Source: Department of Industrial Relations, Heat Illness Prevention (English and Spanish)