We’ve written before about California’s regulations that help protect produce, construction, landscaping and other outdoor workers from dangerously high temperatures. In July, similar protections went into effect for most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing plants.

Under the regulations approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, in indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness, including providing water, cool-down areas, and training. Additional requirements apply where the temperature reaches 87 degrees.

“This regulation provides protections for workers across California and helps prepare employers to deal with the challenges of rising temperatures in indoor environments,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee. “My team has prepared resources so that employers can quickly comply with the new requirements and ensure their employees’ safety.” 

Here’s a summary of the protections that these regulations provide California workers, according to Cal/OSHA:

• Water: Outdoor workplaces and indoor workplaces (when the indoor temperature reaches 82 degrees) must provide access to fresh, suitably cool, and free water located as close as possible to work areas (as well as cool-down areas for indoor workplaces)
• Shade and cool-down areas: For outdoor workplaces, shade must be present when temperatures are greater than 80 degrees, otherwise it must be available upon request. Indoor workplaces (when the indoor temperature reaches 82 degrees) must provide access to at least one cool-down area that must be kept at a lower temperature. Shade and cool-down areas must be:
  • Blocked from direct sunlight
  • Large enough to accommodate the number of workers on rest breaks so they can sit comfortably without touching each other
  • Close as possible to the work areas
  • Shielded from other high-radiant heat sources (indoor workplaces only)
• Cool-down rest periods: Employers at outdoor and indoor workplaces (when temperatures reach 82 degrees) must encourage workers to take preventative cool-down rest periods, allow workers who ask for a cool-down rest to take one, and monitor workers taking rest periods for symptoms of heat-related illness.
• High-heat procedures: Outdoor workplaces also need to have and implement procedures to deal with temperatures exceeding 95 degrees.
• Training and heat-illness prevention: Employers at both indoor and outdoor workplaces must provide training to both workers and supervisors and establish, implement, and maintain an effective written heat illness prevention plan.

Is your employer taking the required steps to protect you from the heat? If not, Keller Grover can help. We provide confidential, free consultations to advise those who have been mistreated by employers, and we can aid you in determining the best path forward, helping you minimize the impact of reporting, protect your rights and achieve the best possible outcome for your situation.