California: Indoor Heat Illness Standard Effective Immediately!
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APPLIES TO Employers with Indoor Employees in CA |
EFFECTIVE July 23, 2024 |
QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call |
Quick Look
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Discussion
Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment regulation applies to all indoor workplaces where the indoor temperature is 82°F or higher, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. The regulations do not apply to employees working remotely, certain emergency operations, correctional facilities, or to incidental exposure to heat where an employee is exposed to temperatures from 82°F to below 95°F for less than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period. Employers must have a written indoor heat illness prevention plan, which can be incorporated into an existing Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) or Heat Illness Prevention Plan (HIPP). The Plan must be in English and must also be available at the worksite in a language understood by the majority of employees.
For indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82°F, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness, such as by providing water, rest, and cool-down areas. When the indoor temperature reaches 87°F, employers must also implement administrative controls, such as acclimatizing employees, rotating employees, scheduling work earlier or later in the day, using work/rest schedules, reducing work intensity or speed, reducing work hours, changing required work clothing, and using relief workers. Employers must also implement engineering controls, such as isolation of hot processes, isolation of employees from sources of heat, air conditioning, cooling fans, swamp coolers, local exhaust ventilation, shielding from a radiant heat source, and insulation of hot surfaces. If engineering controls are insufficient to reduce temperatures, personal heat-protective equipment must be used to minimize the risk of heat illness. If workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high radiant heat areas, these additional requirements apply at 82°F.
When the indoor temperature is at least 87°F or 82°F with restrictive clothing, employers are required to measure the temperature and heat index to record the greater number. Employers must keep measurement records, including the date, time, and exact location of measurement. Instruments used to measure the temperature or heat index must be used and maintained according to the manufacturers’ recommendations.
Employers are required to train all employees before the start of any work that may reasonably expose them to risk of heat illness. Employers are required to implement emergency response procedures, which includes effective communication measures to contact emergency medical services; responding to signs and symptoms of potential heat illness; contacting emergency medical services; and providing clear and precise directions to the worksite. Employers may be covered under both the indoor and outdoor regulations if they have both indoor and outdoor workplaces. Also note that the new rules protect employees from discrimination and termination for exercising their rights or offering occupational safety and health protection to employees.
Action Items
- Review the final regulations here.
- Review the Comparison Chart of Indoor and Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention Standards.
- Review the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention web pageand the org informational website, as well as a Heat Illness Prevention online tool.
- Implement an indoor heat illness prevention plan.
- Ensure heat illness prevention measures are implemented.
- Have all employees trained on heat illness prevention.
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