EMPLOYER SAMPLE PROCEDURES FOR HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION FEB 2010 California Employers with any outdoor plaes of employment must omply with the Heat Illness Prevention Standard T8 CCR 3395. These proedures have been reated to assist the employer in rafting their heat illness prevention proedures, and to redue the risk of work related heat illnesses among their employees. These proedures are not intended to supersede or replae the appliation of any other Title 8 regulation, partiularly T8 3203 Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Title 8 CCR 3203 requires an employer to establish, implement, and maintain an effetive IIPP. The measures listed here may be integrated into the Employer s Injury and Illness Prevention Program. The employer must also be aware that other standards apply to Heat Illness Prevention suh as the requirement to provide for drinking water, first aid and emergeny response. Please note: These proedures provide the minimal steps appliable to most outdoor work settings and are essential to reduing the inidene of heat related illnesses. In working environments with a higher risk for heat illness (e.g., during a heat wave, or other severe working or environmental onditions), it is the employer s duty to exerise greater aution and additional protetive measures beyond what is listed in this doument, as needed to protet their employees. To effetively establish your ompany proedures, arefully review the key elements listed on this doument, as well as the examples provided, then selet and fill out the proedures appliable to your workplae. Please use additional paper when neessary. Implement and train employees and supervisors on your ompany proedures and follow-up to ensure your proedures are fulfilled. Furthermore, to suessfully tailor these proedures to your work ativities, evaluate and onsider the individual onditions present at your site (suh as, but not limited to): (1) size of the rew, (2) the length of the work-shift, (3) the ambient temperature (whih an be taken either with the aid of a simple thermometer or by monitoring the weather) and (4) the presene of personal protetive equipment or additional soures of heat. Again, these sample proedures do not inlude every workplae senario, so it is ruial that your ompany evaluate and take into aount onditions found in your individual workplae that are likely to ause a heat illness.
Your written proedures should also: 1. Identify the designated person(s) that has been assigned the appliable task(s) (e.g. supervisor, foreman, safety oordinator, rew leader). 2. Provide speifi details required to arry out the task and ensure that the task is aomplished suessfully (e.g. how many water ontainers/shade strutures, of what size, distane to plaement, frequeny of water-level replenishment/weather-traking/water breaks/reminders, et). [For additional information, see the Enforement Q&A: http://www.dir.a.gov/dosh/ heatillnessqa.html] 3. Speify how these proedures will be ommuniated to your employees and in partiular to the persons assigned these responsibilities (e.g. via training, meeting), and how it will be asertained that these ompany instrutions and proedures are followed. Sample Proedures for Provision of Water inlude but are not limited to the following: The [ designated person ] will bring [ XX No. of ] drinking water ontainers (of 5 to 10 gallons eah) to the site, so that at least 2 quarts per employee are available at the start of the shift. The [ designated person ] will bring [ XX No. of ] paper one rims or bags of disposable ups and the neessary up dispensers to ensure that enough disposable ups are made available for eah worker and are kept lean until used. As part of [ XYZ s Company s ] Effetive Replenishment Proedures, the [ designated person ] will hek the water level of all ontainers every [ 30 min ], and more frequently when the temperature exeeds 90 o F. When the water level within a ontainer drops below 50%, water ontainers will be refilled with ool water. To aomplish this task, the [ designated person ] will arry [ 1-2 ] additional water ontainers (i.e. 5 gallon bottles) to replae water as needed. When the temperature exeeds 90 degrees, the [ designated person ] will arry ie in separate ontainers, so that when neessary, it will be added to the drinking water to keep it ool. The [ designated person ] will hek the work site and plae the water as lose as possible to the workers (i.e. no more than [ 50 ] feet from the workers). If field terrain prevents the water from being plaed as lose as possible to the workers, the [ designated person ] will bring bottled water or individual ontainers (in addition to disposable ups and water ontainers), so that workers an have drinking water readily aessible. The [ designated person ] will ensure that the water ontainers are reloated to follow along as the rew moves, so drinking water will be readily aessible. The [ designated person ] will be responsible for leaning the water ontainers and ensuring that they are kept in sanitary ondition (all neessary leaning supplies are provided by the ompany). The ompany will reimburse the supervisors for any ost inurred for them to fill up their water ontainers as needed on a daily basis or to purhase neessary disposable ups or leaning supplies. The [ designated person ] will be given a per diem of [ XXX ] per week for the purhase of water and/or drinking water supplies. The [ designated person ] will point out daily the loation of the water oolers to the workers and remind them to drink water frequently. When the temperature exeeds or is expeted to exeed 90 degrees F, the [ designated person ] will hold a brief tailgate meeting eah morning to review with employees the importane of drinking water, the number and shedule of water and rest breaks and the signs and symptoms of heat illness. The [ designated person ] will use audible devies (suh as whistles or air horns) to remind employees to drink water.
When the temperature equals or exeeds 95 0 F or during a heat wave, the [ designated person ] will inrease the number of water breaks, and will remind workers throughout the work shift to drink water. During employee training, the importane of frequent drinking of water will be stressed. Sample Proedures for Aess to Shade inlude but are not limited to the following: Note: Follow the general guidane provided above, under the Provisions for Water (identify the person assigned the task and list the speifi tasks that have to be arried out). Eah [ designated person ] will bring [ XX No. of ] shade strutures to the site, to aommodate at least 25 perent of the employees on the shift and either hairs, benhes, sheets, towels or any other items to allow employees to sit and rest without ontating the bare ground. However, hairs, benhes, et. are not required for aeptable soures of shade suh as trees. The [ designated person ] will ensure that [ XX No. of ] shade strutures are opened and plaed as lose as pratial to the workers, when the temperature equals or exeeds 85 0 F. When the temperature is below 85 0 F, the shade strutures will be brought to the site, but will be opened and set in plae upon worker(s) request. Note: The interior of a vehile may not be used to provide shade unless the vehile is air-onditioned and the air onditioner is on. The [ designated person ] will point out the daily loation of the shade strutures to the workers as well as allow and enourage employees to take a 5 min ool-down rest in the shade, when they feel the need to do so to protet themselves from overheating. The [ designated person ] will ensure that the shade strutures are reloated to follow along with the rew and double-hek that they are as lose as pratial to the employees, so that aess to shade is provided at all times. In situations where trees or other vegetation are used to provide shade (suh as in orhards), the [ designated person ] will evaluate the thikness and shape of the shaded area (given the hanging angles of the sun during the entire shift), before assuming that suffiient shadow is being ast to protet employees. In situations where it is not safe to provide shade (example winds of more than 40 mph), the [ designated person ] will doument how this determination was made, and what steps will be taken to provide shade upon request. For non-agriultural employers, in situations where it is not safe or feasible to provide shade, the [ designated person ] will doument how this determination was made, and what steps will be taken to provide shade upon request or other alternative ooling measures with equivalent protetion. Sample Proedures for Monitoring the Weather inlude but are not limited to: 2 weeks in advane (or with as many days in advane as possible), the Employer, Farm Labor Contrator or Superintendent will go on the internet (www.nws.nooa.gov), all the National Weather Servie Phone Numbers (see CA numbers attahed) or hek the Weather Channel TV Network to view the extended weather foreast in order to plan in advane the work shedule, know whether a heat wave is expeted and if additional shedule modifiations will be neessary. This type of advane planning should take plae all summer long. CALIFORNIA Dial-A-Foreast Eureka 707-443-7062 Hanford 559-584-8047 Los Angeles 805-988-6610(#1) Saramento 916-979-3051 San Diego 858-297-2107(#1) San Franiso 831-656-1725(#1)
Prior to eah workday, the [ designated person ] will review the foreasted temperature and humidity for the worksite and ompare it against the National Weather servie Heat Index to evaluate the risk level for heat illness, for instane whether or not workers will be exposed at a temperature and humidity haraterized as either extreme aution or extreme danger for heat illnesses suh as heat stroke. It is important to keep in mind that the temperature at whih these warnings our must be lowered as muh as 15 degrees if the workers under onsideration are in diret sunlight. Prior to eah workday, the [ designated person ] will be responsible for monitoring the weather (using www.nws.nooa.gov or with the aid of a simple thermometer) at the worksite. This ritial weather information will be taken into onsideration, to determine when it will be neessary to make modifiations to the work shedule (suh as stopping work early, resheduling the job, working at night or during the ooler hours of the day, inreasing the number of water and rest breaks). The [ designated person ] will be responsible for using a thermometer at the jobsite and heking the temperature every [ 60 mins ] to monitor for sudden inreases in temperature, to ensure that one the temperature exeeds 85 0 F, the shade strutures are opened and aessible to the workers and to make ertain that one the temperature equals or exeeds 95 0 F additional preventive measures suh as the High Heat Proedures are implemented. Handling a Heat Wave: During a heat wave or heat spike (e.g., a sudden inrease in daytime temperature of 9 degrees or more), the work day will be ut short (example 12 PM), will be resheduled (example onduted at night or during ooler hours) or if possible ease for the day. If shedule modifiations are not possible and workers have to work during a heat wave, the [ designated person ] will provide a tailgate meeting to reinfore heat illness prevention with emergeny response proedures and review the weather foreast with the workers. In addition, the [ designated person ] will institute alternative preventive measures suh as provide workers with an inrease number of water and rest breaks every [ (X) hour ], supervise workers to ensure that they do stop work and take these breaks, and observe losely all workers for signs and symptoms of heat illness. During a heat wave or heat spike (e.g., a sudden inrease in daytime temperature of 9 degrees or more), and the start of the workday, the [ designated person ] will hold a tailgate meeting with the workers to review the ompany heat illness prevention proedures, the weather foreast and emergeny response. The [ designated person ]will assign eah employee a buddy to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of heat illness and ensure that emergeny proedures are initiated when someone displays possible signs or symptoms of heat illness. Sample High Heat Proedures inlude but are not limited to: [High Heat Proedures are additional preventive measures that this ompany will use when the temperature equals or exeeds 95 degrees Fahrenheit]. The [ designated person ] will ensure that effetive ommuniation by voie, observation, or eletroni means is maintained so that employees at the worksite an ontat a supervisor when neessary. If the [ designated person ] is unable to be near the workers to observe them or ommuniate with them, then an eletroni devie, suh as a ell phone or text messaging devie, may be used for this purpose only if reeption in the area is reliable. The [ designated person ] will observe employees for alertness and signs and symptoms of heat illness. The [ designated person ] will remind employees throughout the work shift to drink plenty of water. The [ designated person ] will losely supervise a new employee, or assign a buddy or more
experiened oworker for the first 14 days of the employee s employment by the employer, unless the employee indiates at the time of hire that he or she has been doing similar outdoor work for at least 10 of the past 30 days for 4 or more hours per day. Sample Proedures for Alimatization inlude but are not limited to: Alimatization is the temporary and gradual physiologial hange in the body that ours when the environmentally indued heat load to whih the body is austomed is signifiantly and suddenly exeeded by sudden environmental hanges. In more ommon terms, the body needs time to adapt when temperatures rise suddenly, and an employee risks heat illness by not taking it easy when a heat wave strikes or when starting a new job that exposes the employee to heat to whih the employee s body hasn t yet adjusted. Inadequate alimatization an imperil anyone exposed to onditions of heat and physial stress signifiantly more intense than what they are used to. Employers are responsible for the working onditions of their employees, and they must at effetively when onditions result in sudden exposure to heat their employees are not used to. [ XYZ s Company s ] will monitor the weather and in partiular be on the look out for sudden heat wave(s), or inreases in temperatures to whih employees haven t been exposed to for several weeks or longer. During a heat wave or heat spike (e.g., a sudden inrease in daytime temperature of 9 degrees or more), the work day will be ut short (example 12 PM), will be resheduled (example onduted at night or during ooler hours) or if possible ease for the day. During the hot summer months, the work shift will start [ (X) hour ] earlier in the day or later in the evening. For new employees, the [ designated person ] will try to find ways to lessen the intensity of the employees work during a two-week break-in period (suh as sheduling slower paed, less physially demanding work during the hot parts of the day and the heaviest work ativities during the ooler parts of the day (early-morning or evening)). Steps taken to lessen the intensity of the workload for new employees will be doumented. The [ designated person ] will be extra-vigilant with new employees and stay alert to the presene of heat related symptoms. The [ designated person ] will assign new employees a buddy or experiened oworker to wath eah other losely for disomfort or symptoms of heat illness. During a heat wave, the [ designated person ] will observe all employees losely (or maintain frequent ommuniation via phone or radio) and be on the look out for possible symptoms of heat illness. [ XYZ s Company s ] training for employees and supervisors will inlude the importane of alimatization, how it is developed and how these ompany proedures address it. Sample Proedures for Emergeny Response inlude but are not limited to: Prior to assigning a rew to a partiular worksite, the [ designated person ] will provide workers and the foreman a map along with lear and preise diretions (suh as streets or road names, distinguishing features and distanes to major roads) of the site, to avoid a delay of emergeny medial servies.
Prior to assigning a rew to a partiular worksite, the [ designated person ] will ensure that a qualified, appropriately trained and equipped person will be available at the site, to render first aid if neessary. Prior to the start of the shift, the [ designated person ] will determine if a language barrier is present at the site and take steps (suh as assigning the responsibility to all emergeny medial servies to the foreman or an English speaking worker) to ensure that emergeny medial servies an be immediately alled in the event of an emergeny. All foremen and supervisors will arry ell phones or other means of ommuniation, to ensure that emergeny medial servies an be alled and hek that these are funtional at the worksite prior to eah shift. When an employee is showing symptoms of possible heat illness, [ designated person ] will take immediate steps to keep the striken employee ool and omfortable one emergeny servie responders have been alled (to redue the progression to more serious illness). At remote loations suh as rural farms, lots or undeveloped areas, the [ designated person ] will designate an employee or employees to physially go to the nearest road or highway where emergeny responders an see them. If daylight is diminished, the designated employee(s) shall be given refletive vest or flashlights in order to diret emergeny personnel to the loation of the worksite, whih may not be visible form the road or highway. During a heat wave or hot temperatures, workers will be reminded and enouraged to immediately report to their supervisor any signs or symptoms they are experiening. [ XYZ s Company s ] training for employees and supervisors will inlude every detail of these written emergeny proedures. Handling a Sik Employee: When an employee displays possible signs or symptoms of heat illness, a trained first aid worker or supervisor will hek the sik employee and determine whether resting in the shade and drinking ool water will suffie or if emergeny servie providers will need to be alled. Do not leave a sik worker alone in the shade, as he or she an take a turn for the worse! When an employee displays possible signs or symptoms of heat illness and no trained first aid worker or supervisor is available at the site, all emergeny servie providers. Call emergeny servie providers immediately if an employee displays signs or symptoms of heat illness (loss of onsiousness, inoherent speeh, onvulsions, red and hot fae), does not look OK or does not get better after drinking ool water and resting in the shade. While the ambulane is in route, initiate first aid (ool the worker: plae in the shade, remove exess layers of lothing, plae ie pak in the armpits and join area and fan the vitim). Do not let a sik worker leave the site, as they an get lost or die (when not being transported by ambulane and treatment has not been started by paramedis) before reahing a hospital! If an employee does not look OK and displays signs or symptoms of severe heat illness (loss of onsiousness, inoherent speeh, onvulsions, red and hot fae), and the worksite is loated more than 20 min away from a hospital, all emergeny servie providers, ommuniate the signs and symptoms of the vitim and request Air Ambulane.
Sample Proedures for Employee and Supervisory Training inlude but are not limited to: [ XYZ s Company s ] will ensure that all supervisors are trained prior to being assigned to supervise other workers. Training will inlude this ompany s written proedures and what steps supervisors will follow when employees exhibit symptoms onsisted with heat illness. [ XYZ s Company s ] will ensure that all employees and supervisors are trained prior to working outside. Training will inlude the ompany s written prevention proedures. [ designated person ] will train employees on the steps that will be followed for ontating emergeny medial servies, inluding how they are to proeed when there are non-english speaking workers, how lear and preise diretions to the site will be provided as well as stress the need to make visual ontat with emergeny responders at the nearest road or landmark to diret them to their worksite. When the temperature exeeds 75 degrees 0 F, the [ designated person ] will hold short tailgate meetings to review the weather report, reinfore heat illness prevention with all workers and provide reminders to drink water frequently, to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of heat illness and inform them that shade an be made available upon request. The [ designated person ] will assign new employees a buddy or experiened oworker to ensure that they understood the training and follow ompany proedures.