Did you know?
California OSHA investigated 25 incidents of heat-related illness in 2005. In almost half of the cases, it was the worker’s first day on the job, and in 80 percent of the cases the worker involved had been on the job for less than five days. That’s why it’s important to gradually increase the workload or allow more frequent breaks to help new workers and those returning to a job after time away build up a tolerance for hot conditions.
In jurisdictions without a heat stress standard, OSHA will cite employers for unprotected heat stress exposures using the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s “General Duty Clause,” which requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
When inspectors conduct checks of workplaces where heat exposure can pose a problem, such as construction sites and farms, they will ask workers about their training to prevent heat illnesses and whether the employer provides water, rest and shade, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels said in a speech on July 1, 2013.