California employers must protect workers as triple-digit heat arrives

OAKLAND, Calif. - The state of California this week reminded all employers that it's their job to protect their employees when the mercury rises into the triple digits, which is forecast for Friday.

Cal-OSHA Chief Debra Lee sent out a public notice in the hopes of preventing heat illness as temperatures are expected to soar to104 degrees in Sacramento, 111 in San Bernardino and Riverside and 102 in Los Angeles. Imperial County could reach 119 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. 

As of July 23, California has a new "Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment" law, that regulates indoor workplaces that reach or surpass 82 degrees.

The rule applies to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities.

The law requires employers to provide water, cooling areas and monitoring of workers for signs of heat illness whenever it gets hotter than 82 degrees inside the office. 

If temperatures climb to 87 degrees, or workers are required to work near hot equipment, employers must cool the work site. 

If they can't, employers must give more breaks, rotate workers out of hot environments and make other adjustments.

When temps reach 87 degrees, workers also have to provide heat-protective equipment. 

When the temps rise, employers must provide employees with fresh, pure, and suitably cool drinking water, free of charge. 

If there is no running water, employers must provide each employee with one quart of drinking water per hour. 

Employers must allow and encourage employees to take a "preventative cool-down rest" in a cool-down area when employees feel the need to do so to protect themselves from overheating. 

As they're resting, employers must monitor the employees, encourage workers to remain in the cool-down area, and cannot order them back to work until any signs or symptoms of heat illness have been abated. 

Local and state correctional facilities, jails and state prisons, as well as emergency operations directly involved in the protection of life or property are exempted from the regulation for indoor heat. 

Workers who have questions about heat illness prevention in indoor and outdoor places of employment can call 833-579-0927 to speak with a bilingual Cal/OSHA representative Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Complaints about workplace safety and health hazards can be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.