Heat Illness Prevention Awareness - You Can Help Your Clients

The heat of another California summer is nearly upon us and with it increased risk for dangerous heat illness. In our continuing effort to keep California workers and businesses safe, we invite you to encourage your clients to attend our free Heat Illness Prevention seminars (happening across the state with many presented in Spanish). State Fund would also encourage you to remind them of the four steps required of all California employers to protect their employees from the heat.

• Employers must provide enough fresh water so that employees can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage them to do so.
• Employers need to provide access to shade for at least 5 minutes of rest when an employee believes he or she needs a preventative recovery period. Workers should not wait until they feel sick to do so.
• All employees and supervisors must receive heat illness prevention training.
• Employers need to develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.

Due to the severity of heat illness, Cal/OSHA has taken additional steps to clarify some of the issues concerning the Heat Illness Prevention Standard. The link below will provide your clients with all that Cal/OSHA is doing to further educate employers on this topic including the newly released Heat Illness Prevention enforcement Q & A. http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/HeatIllnessInfo.html