After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.
A workplace safety board approved the rule in late June, and asked other state administrative agencies to fast-track putting it on the books. The rule went into effect Tuesday as another wave of triple-digit days sweeps through parts of the state. Worker advocates had been concerned that without the sped-up process, the rule wouldn't be official until October.
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor, in a statement: “This long overdue victory for workers cannot be overstated: these protections from extreme heat will save countless lives. We will continue pushing Cal/OSHA to prioritize enforcement so that bad employers can't get away with subjecting workers to life-threatening working conditions from indoor heat exposure.”
Businesses where employees work indoors must now provide cooling areas and monitor workers for signs of heat illness when it's 82 degrees. If it is 87 degrees, employers would have to cool the worksite, offer more breaks, rotate schedules or take other measures. The rule is primarily expected to affect warehouses, restaurant kitchens and other worksites that are often not air conditioned. At the behest of Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration, the standard does not cover state prisons.
Workplace safety regulators in California received 550 complaints related to indoor heat last year, and 90 through July 9 this year, they said.
More information here: https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2024/2024-59.html
---------------------------------------
MARK SMITH
Smith Policy Group
1001 K Street, 6th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 335-5072
mark@smithpolicygroup.com
smithpolicygroup.com