According to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), California’s new heat illness prevention rules for indoor workplaces became effective on July 23, 2024.
Quick Hits
- Cal/OSHA’s heat illness prevention regulation moved quickly from approval to implementation in a shorter time period than normal and took effect on July 23, 2024.
- The rule contains requirements for indoor heat illness training, trigger points of 82°F and 87°F, requirements for administrative and engineering controls, procedures for the provision of water and access to cool-down areas, procedures for acclimatization, and requirements for emergency response procedures.
- Cal/OSHA can now begin indoor heat illness inspections based on the new regulation.
On June 20, 2024, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted unanimously to adopt a proposed version of Title 8 CCR § 3396, “Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment,” after a prior attempt at passing a proposed indoor heat regulation failed. The regulation was then submitted to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for review. According to Cal/OSHA, OAL approved the regulation on July 23, 2024. The OAL website does not yet reflect that the standard is in effect.
Th regulation contains requirements for indoor heat illness training, trigger points of 82°F and 87°F for implementing certain protocols, requirements for administrative and engineering controls, procedures for the provision of water and access to cool-down areas, procedures for acclimatization, and requirements for emergency response procedures.
With the current heat wave, California employers may want to quickly begin implementing the many procedures and training requirements under the new regulation.
