California Indoor Heat Protections Take Effect

California’s indoor heat protections have gone into effect and apply to most indoor workplaces.

We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other outlets.

New Standard’s Requirements

When the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit in indoor workplaces in California, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness. Some of the requirements include providing water, rest, cool-down areas, and training.

Additional requirements, where feasible, apply when the temperature reaches 87 degrees, such as cooling down the work area, implementing work-rest schedules, and providing personal heat-protective equipment. When workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high-radiant-heat areas, those additional requirements apply at 82 degrees.

(California Department of Industrial Relations news release)

Labor Leaders Welcome Standards

“We are relieved that the indoor heat protections are now finally in effect in California,” said Lorena Gonzalez, head of the California Labor Federation, in a statement. “This long-overdue victory for workers cannot be overstated; these protections from extreme heat will save countless lives.”

The state estimates that the new rule will apply to about 1.4 million people who work indoors in conditions that can easily lead to extreme heat exposure. The industries anticipated to be most affected include warehouses, manufacturing, and restaurants.

California in 2006 became the first state to establish permanent heat protections for outdoor workers.

(Los Angeles Times)

Compliance Steps

The new rule includes a compliance framework for employers with indoor work areas when the temperature reaches 82 degrees. Employers are required to comply by doing the following:

• Develop a written heat illness prevention plan.
• Provide fresh, pure, and suitably cool drinking water.
• Provide access to cool-down areas for recovery as well as meal and rest periods.
• Meet acclimatization requirements for employees newly assigned to high-heat conditions.
• Train both nonsupervisory and supervisory employees on the risks of heat illness in the workplace.

(SHRM Online)

Proposed Federal Heat Protection Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on July 2 issued a proposed rule to shield indoor and outdoor workers from heat illness. 

Under the proposed rule, OSHA would adopt two heat index thresholds that would apply nationally and would factor in humidity as well as temperature. The first, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, would require employers to provide drinking water and break areas that workers can use as needed. Employers would also need to have a plan for new and returning workers to gradually increase their workload so their bodies adjust to the heat.

More protections would kick in at 90 degrees, including monitoring workers for signs of heat illness and providing mandatory 15-minute breaks every two hours. Employers would be required to check on employees working alone every few hours and to issue a hazard alert reminding workers of the importance of staying hydrated.

(SHRM Online and The Washington Post)