A recently released bill from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeks to expand preventative measures related to heat-related illnesses and other health conditions in enclosed workplaces. This project is a direct follow-up to several attempts by the organization to intensify the application of preventive measures against the dangers of heat indoors, even when there were no formal regulations in this regard.
Although the published draft standard will apply to all enclosed work areas whose temperatures reach or exceed 82 degrees, the factor that will determine that employers implement additional preventive measures will be temperatures above 87 degrees. Among the proposed measures are the following:
● Enable rest areas against extreme temperatures: According to the OSHA project, these will be defined as adequately ventilated spaces in which all workers can protect themselves from direct exposure to sunlight and other sources of excessive heat.
● Ensuring that a company’s staff stays hydrated: This will be achieved by providing one liter of drinking water per hour to each employee in the organization.
● Flexibility with rest periods: Allowing employees to take short breaks whenever a worker feels the need to protect themselves from the heat will help prevent feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion, and other risks.
Employers must establish emergency procedures as with outdoor heat illness and injury prevention rules. This will help treat employees experiencing adverse conditions due to excessive temperature rises. They will also need to monitor new employees for any signs of heat stress during their first 14 days of work in new conditions and spaces.
If approved, this new rule will require employees and their supervisors to receive training on indoor heat illness prevention and safety.
Under this proposal, employers will be required to monitor the temperature and heat index inside buildings. They will also need to keep records of temperature readings for twelve months or until the following measurements and monitoring are made.