The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA Standards Board) recently published the official draft version of an indoor heat illness prevention standard. There are already heat illness regulations applicable to outdoor places of employment and the new proposed regulation would apply to indoor places of employment when the temperature reaches at least 82 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present.
Under the current draft version, employers subject to the standard would be required to have written heat illness prevention plans, with requirements similar to those for heat illness plans for outdoor places of employment. A plan would be required to include access to water, "cool-down areas," acclimatization for newly assigned employees, emergency response procedures, and control measures to minimize the risk of heat illness. Additional requirements would apply to indoor workplaces when the temperature reaches at least 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present.
The proposed indoor heat illness regulation has entered the forty-five-day comment period and the Cal/OSHA Standards Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed regulation on May 18, 2023.
Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor developments with respect to the proposed indoor heat illness prevention standard and will post updates on the firm's California and Workplace Safety and Health blogs as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm's webinar and podcast programs.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.