As of July 2024, all California employers are required to have a written Indoor Heat Illness Plan (IHIP). Employers now have stricter responsibilities to protect workers from heat-related illnesses, even indoors as well as employees who work outdoors. Cal/OSHA’s new Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard applies when temperatures inside a worksite reach 82°F. Here’s a breakdown of the key requirements every employer must follow:
🔥 When the Temperature Hits 82°F Indoors
If your indoor work environment reaches 82°F, you are required to implement a written Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Plan tailored to your specific workplace. This plan must include procedures for:
- Accessing water and cool-down areas
- Monitoring indoor temperature and heat index
- Acclimatization for new or returning workers
- Emergency response
- Ongoing employee training
💧 Water Access Requirements
You must provide employees with fresh, pure, and suitably cool drinking water, free of charge. It must be located as close as possible to work areas and cool-down spots. If no running water is available, provide at least one quart of water per hour per employee. Frequent water breaks must be encouraged throughout the shift.
❄️ Cool-Down Areas
Employees must have access to cool-down areas during breaks or whenever they feel overheated.
These areas must be:
- Maintained below 82°F
- Shaded from sunlight and radiant heat sources
- Monitored to ensure employees can rest safely
Employers must allow and encourage “preventative cool-down rests” and cannot require employees to return to work until symptoms have resolved.
👷 Monitoring and Training
Supervisors must observe new employees during the first 14 days of working in high-heat conditions for signs of heat stress. All employees (supervisory and non-supervisory) must be trained on:
- Risk factors for heat illness
- Symptoms and appropriate responses
- Your company’s heat illness prevention procedures
Supervisors require additional training in handling symptoms and responding to high-heat advisories.
📈 What If Temperatures Reach 87°F?
When indoor temperatures or the heat index hit 87°F—or 82°F in workplaces with restrictive clothing or high radiant heat—you must:
- Record the temperature and heat index (time, date, location)
- Keep records for at least 12 months
- Or assume the threshold has been triggered and follow all protective measures
⚙️ Required Control Measures
Employers must implement a hierarchy of controls:
- Engineering Controls: First, try to reduce temperatures using physical changes such as:
- Air conditioning
- Cooling or mist fans
- Local exhaust ventilation
- Shielding or insulation of heat sources
- Natural ventilation when cooler outdoors
- Administrative Controls: If engineering controls can’t reduce heat below the required thresholds, administrative solutions must be used:
- Rotating job duties
- Modifying work hours or intensity
- Providing relief workers
- Acclimatization periods
- Adjusting clothing requirements
Even with administrative controls, you’re still expected to lower temperatures as much as possible using engineering solutions.
Cal/OSHA notes that determining feasibility is based on your specific workplace—size, layout, radiant heat sources, and job duties all factor in.
Need Help Complying with the Heat Illness Requirements?
JorgensenHR is here to help you stay compliant and protect your employees. Contact us today at 661-600-2070 or info@jorgensenhr.com to discuss how we can support your workplace safety, HR compliance needs and create Outdoor & Indoor Heat Illness Plans for you.
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