According to the State's job safety

agency Cal/OSHA, these were not

isolated incidents.  Indeed, just last

month, a Modesto teenager collapsed

and died after working outdoors for

eight hours, pruning vines.  Doctors

learned that she was two months

pregnant.

 

The heat illness problem is not

limited to farm and construction

workers or others who work outdoors.

Each year, Cal/OSHA

investigates and prosecutes area

employers for complaints involving

indoor workers as well.  With the

outdoor temperatures often in the

triple digits, the risks to indoor

workers are considerable, but less

obvious.

Many area workplaces are not well air

conditioned and some are not air

conditioned at all.  It's also not

uncommon for enclosed work settings

such as warehouses and factories to

have temperatures that soar well into

the 90's or even higher.  The indoor

temperature in such workplaces can

quickly rise to unsafe heights,

especially where there are ovens,

boilers or other heavy equipment.

 

Likewise, when the thermometer says

90 degrees outside, often it will be

much hotter in a place such as a

warehouse, even with insulation.

 

Indeed, even an office where the air

conditioner has stopped working or

the cab of a delivery vehicle without

air conditioning may put employees

at risk.

Common sense dictates that

employers provide ways for their

employees to remain cool.  The

State's safety laws require it.  And,

the stakes are high for employers

who ignore these requirements.

 

Companies that don't comply face

stiff fines, workers' compensation

claims, and possible employee

lawsuits for unsafe work conditions.

Worse yet, where an employee

suffers a serious illness or dies at the

workplace, the employer will face a

host of legal problems, including

possible criminal prosecution.

According to Cal/OSHA, the failure to

comply with the state law requiring

employers to have a written Illness

and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP)

is the single most common violation

of workplace safety rules.  For both

the protection of employees and to

remain in compliance, employers

must understand what is required of

them, follow the rules and train their

supervisors to monitor compliance.

For purposes of Cal/OSHA compliance,

a "heat illness" is defined as "a

serious medical condition resulting

from the body's inability to cope with

a particular heat load, and includes

heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat

syncope and heat stroke".  These are

considered emergency conditions of

increasing severity that can result in

death in the most serious cases.

·   At a minimum, the law requires all

    employers to have a written IIPP

    which includes a provision on the

    prevention of heat illness.

·  The law also requires employers to

    periodically meet with employees

    to ascertain workplace safety

    concerns and document those

    meetings for later inspection by

    Cal/OSHA.

·   Cal/OSHA mandates management

    and employee training on

    workplace safety hazard

    avoidance as part of the IIPP.

In addition, certain rules and

regulations address acceptable room

temperature in the case of indoor

employees, and shade, quantities of

potable water, and specialized

training requirements for outdoor

employees and their supervisors.

For most workplaces, the standard is

that the work area must be

"reasonably comfortable", taking into

consideration the nature of the work

and industry-wide standards.

Where the work process is likely to

create excessive heat or humidity, an

employer is required to find a way to

reduce the temperature to one of

reasonable comfort, using all feasible

means.  For outdoor workplaces, "too

hot" is measured by an employee's

subjective belief that he or she needs

a preventative recovery period to cool

off.

The rules vary slightly as to indoor

and outdoor workplaces.  In both

situations, awareness training of the

management team is crucial and must

be documented showing the date and

time of training, the content and a

list of those in attendance.

For indoor workplaces, there are five

"must train" preventive steps:

1)  Drink water frequently
2)  Rest in cooler areas
3)  Give time to acclimatize
4)  Knowing the signs and symptoms

     of heat illness

5)  Knowing the emergency steps to

     take

 

Click here for a link to Cal/OSHA's heat illness training requirements for indoor workers. Cal/OSHA Requirements

For outdoor workplaces, in addition to

the above, an employer also must

provide:

·  At least one quart of potable 

   water, per person, for each hour

   worked;

·  Sufficient shade and time for

   cooling off as necessary to prevent

   and recover from heat illness;

·  Training to recognize and respond

   to heat related illness.

The training requirements are

detailed and specific, as are the

requirements for the written IIPP.

Our firm is ready to provide

employers with the guidance needed

to satisfy these important Cal/OSHA

regulations.