Orange County Register

With a heat wave forecast for the coming week, Cal/OSHA is warning Orange County employers to protect their workers from the heat in accordance with state law.

In 2005, California became the first state to mandate safety and health regulations to protect against  heat illness and the regulations went into effect in 2006.

Because of forecasts of a hot summer, California business groups, coordinated by the California Chamber of Commerce, recently activated the voluntary Heat Illness Prevention Network that warns employers about impending heat emergencies.

The state requires employers to provide their workers:

• ample water
• access to shade
• cool areas for rest breaks when needed

In addition, companies should develop emergency procedures in case a worker gets heat-related sickness. 

Other steps that CalOSHA suggests but doesn’t require are:

• starting the work day early
• pacing work activities for their workers
• increasing the number of water and rest breaks or preventative recovery periods on hot days
• implementing a “buddy system” to monitor employees in the field.

The state expects employers to train all employees to recognize the symptoms of heat sickness and how to respond.

Heat illness occurs when the body’s temperature control system is unable to maintain an acceptable temperature. Under normal circumstances, the body cools itself by sweating. When high temperatures and humidity prevent the body from releasing heat efficiently, a person’s body temperature can rise quickly.

Heat illness symptoms, according to MedicineNet.com, include paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fast pulse rate, shallow breathing and fainting. The skin may be cool and moist.

If left untreated, high body temperatures can damage the brain and other vital organs and, ultimately, lead to death.

WebMD gives these treatment suggestions:

• Move the person into a cool place, out of direct sunlight.
• Remove the person’s unnecessary clothing and place him on his side to expose as much skin surface to the air as possible.
• Cool the person’s entire body by sponging or spraying cool (not cold) water and fan her to lower her body temperature. 
• Apply ice packs on the groin, neck, and armpits, where large blood vessels lie close to the skin surface. Do not immerse the person in an ice bath.

Cal/OSHA has regulations to protect outdoor employees from the effects of heat exposure. The chamber warns that indoor workplaces can also pose a risk for heat illness, especially in times of triple-digit outdoor temperatures, so all employers are urged to be vigilant in taking steps to prepare for and avoid heat illness for indoor workers too.

For more information on heat illness prevention and training materials visit the Cal/OSHA Web site . Employees with work-related questions or complaints may call the California Workers’ Information Hotline at 866-924-9757.

The California Chamber sells to employers a mini-book, Heat Illness Prevention in California, ($25 for five copies) that complies with the Cal/OHSA training requirements and icontains clear, medically accurate illustrations as well as plain-language, bilingual content. It also sells laminated heat illness prevention posters for the workplace for $20. Click here for more information.

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