Heat Illness Prevention Tips

Posted on by danddconnection

Good morning, D&D!

As you know with the fires all over California the air quality has been unhealthy for many of us. Along with the fires the Central Valley has been in a heat wave, please take precaution, stay cool, and hydrated when you can.

An email was sent out to clients in regarding Heat Illness Prevention for employees last week and here are some tips we wanted to share with you all:

  • Plan – Develop and implement an effective written heat illness prevention plan that includes emergency response procedures
  • Training – Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention
  • Water – Provide drinking water that is fresh, pure, suitably cool and free of charge so that each worker can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage workers to do so.
  • Shade – Provide shade when workers request it or when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Encourage workers to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
  • When the temperature equals or exceeds 95 degrees, employers must provide one 10-minute “preventative cool-down rest period” every 2 hours. During the first 8 hours of a shift, the cool-down periods may be provided at the same time as the rest periods. 
  • If employees work longer than 8 hours, the employer must provide an additional 10-minute cool-down rest period every 2 hours. For example, if the shift extends beyond 8 hours, an additional rest period is required at the end of the 8th hour of work. If the shift extends beyond 10 hours, another is required at the end of the 10th hour.
  • Employers must ensure that employees actually take the cool-down rest periods required under this section.
  • Employers are required to provide additional breaks as soon as the temperature equals or exceeds 95 degrees. For example, even if the temperature does not reach 95 degrees until the last half of an 8-hour shift, the employer must ensure that employees take cool-down rest periods starting at the end of the 8th hour of work.