Record high temperatures abound throughout California. The National Weather Service has issued multiple heat advisories and Employers need to know what to do when the California sun shines bright.
Companies need to protect their employees outside and inside. This includes providing your employees fresh, clean water, access to shade (for temperatures over 80 degrees outside or over 82 degrees indoors), cool down breaks (in addition to their regular rest breaks and meal periods). The water should be located as close to the work area as possible and free of charge. If employees request cool down rest breaks, let them take one. Encourage them to do so in extremely hot temperatures especially when working in direct sunlight. Make sure supervisors/managers are trained on these requirements and know what heat illness is and keep an eye out for such symptoms and remind your employees to drink water.
Employers need to make sure their Illness & Injury Prevention Programs (IIPP) are up to date, including implementation of an effective IIPP that includes procedures for providing water, shade, preventative rest periods and observation if symptoms of heat illness arise. Employers, make sure you address heat illness with your employees, whether inside (restaurants, warehouses, manufacturing facilities for example) or outside (construction, agricultural, transportation, landscaping as examples).
For more information on how to prevent heat illness with these rising temperatures throughout California, understanding what a proper IIPP policy looks like, to ensure your heat illness injury prevention policy is up to date, call the Employment Lawyers of Chauvel & Glatt.
