As we head into the summer months, employers with outdoor worksites in California may wish to review their Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) and obligations under Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard.
As the name of the standard implies, Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard applies to all employers with an outdoor place of employment. Simply put, the standard applies whenever an employee is working outside. For example, a supermarket that assigns employees to gather shopping carts in the parking lot would be covered under this standard, even though the market itself is indoors.
Covered employers must take the following steps to prevent heat illness in the workplace:
Train employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention.
Provide enough “fresh, pure, and suitably cool” water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour and encourage them to do so.
Ensure that timely access to shade can be provided upon an employee’s request.
Encourage employees to take a preventative cool-down rest in the shade when they feel the need to do so to protect themselves from overheating at all times.
Implement effective emergency response procedures related to heat illness.
Closely observe employees that have been newly assigned to a high heat area for the first 14 days of employment, and all employees during heat waves.
Develop and implement a written Heat Illness Prevention...
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