Required Precautions

Cal-OSHA has been working with employers to remind workers of preventative steps that must be taken to minimize the chance of heat illness, which can be fatal.

As temperatures near 95 degrees, laborers unaccustomed to working in such conditions must be observed by a supervisor or other designee for their first 14 days on the job.

Communication is another emphasis: To avoid accidents, workers and their supervisors must stay in close contact throughout the workday. Employees must be reminded of their right to cool-down breaks and the need to drink extra water.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cal-OSHA says it’s also important that employers provide adequate shade while ensuring workers maintain a safe distance from each other, including through the use of staggered breaks, increased shaded areas “or both.” Additionally, the agency said employers need to conduct extra disinfecting procedures at restroom facilities and water sources.