Dear Reader,
We received an overwhelming positive response to our last issue of the Easy Safety School newsletter.  Thank you all for taking a moment from your hectic schedules to increase your safety awareness.  We value all of our readers.  It is your positive feedback that encourages us to continue the fight for a safer workplace.  In this issue of the Easy Safety School newsletter, we decided it was appropriate to get a jump on Heat Illness Prevention.  Summer will arrive sooner than expected.  Please enjoy this month's issue and pass on what you learn.  Safe conditions occur when everyone participates.
Christina Marshman
Easy Safety School

Heat Illness

OSHA requirements for Heat Stress prevention can be found in the 29 CFR 1910 and 1926.  CAL/OSHA requirements for Heat Illness Prevention can be found in California Code of Regulations, Title 8 section 3395.  Because of the warm, arid climate of California, the Title 8 requirements are more stringent than the Federal OSHA requirements.  We strongly recommend following the CAL/OSHA requirements in addition to the Federal OSHA requirements.
A Heat Illness is a serious medical condition resulting from the body's inability to cope with a particular heat load, and includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope and heat stroke.
Heat Illness does not receive as much consideration as fall protection.  The truth is, however, in California 16 jobsites were shut down in 2009 for imminent hazards due to heat and nearly $2 million in penalties and 1,158 citations were issued in 2009.  If this isn't reason enough to make sure your company has a solid Heat Illness Prevention Program, consider the fact that in a couple of these cases district attorneys pursed employers with criminal charges .  Without a doubt, OSHA and CAL/OSHA have decided that Heat Illness Prevention will be a new workplace standard.
CAL/OSHA
http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/HeatIllnessInfo.html

OSHA
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/standards.html

Written Heat Illness Prevention Program 

The tallest buildings start with a solid foundation.  We recommend that all of our clients prepare a written Heat Illness Prevention Plan to serve as their program foundation.  This document is not an endless medical dissertation.  It is a short document that outlines your company's standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding Heat Illness Prevention.  This document should name individuals charged with insuring that the program will be carried out in accordance with your written instruction.  This document should indicate your procedures for providing Heat Illness training to your employees, your procedures for providing access to water and shade, your procedures for monitoring weather, your procedures for recognizing heat illness symptoms and your company's emergency procedures for responding to a heat illness incident.  Most Heat Illness Prevention Programs can be completely outlined in a less than five pages.  Most state universities post their written program on their websites.  Use these documents as a template when developing your own.

Provide Heat Illness Training 

Most heat illness incidents happen to new employees within the first couple days of their employment.  We can attribute this to lack of acclimatization, lack of training and lack of proper supervision.  A good training program will cover all of these topics.  Training your employees is the first defense in protecting them.  Additional training information can be found on the Easy Safety School website.
Make sure your heat illness training includes the following:
1. The environmental  risk factors for heat illness:
  Weather, Season, Time of Day, Working Surface play important roles 
2. The personal risk factors associated with heat illness: 
  Alcohol the night before and Prior Incidents increase risk of heat illness
3. Your company specific heat illness prevention procedures.
4. The importance of water and shade: 
  Employers must provide potable water and a means of escaping direct sunlight
5. Importance of acclimatization:
 Acclimatization is the temporary adaption of the body to work in the heat that occurs gradually when a person is exposed to it.  Acclimatization takes anywhere from 4 to 14 days to peak.  
6. Common types of heat illness and symptoms:  Employees need to know that they must watch each other.
7. The procedures for responding to heat illness.
8. Procedures for contacting emergency service or transporting employees if necessary to emergency facilities.

Recognizing Heat Illness 

Heat Exhaustion: Heavy Sweating, Cramps, Rapid Pulse, Headache, Nausea, Vomiting
Heat Stroke: Sweating has Stopped, Redness, Hot Skin, Fainting, High Body Temperature, Disorientation, Confusion

Water, Water, Water
  
Employers must provide access to cool potable drinking water.  Each employee working exposed to heat load requires at a minimum one quart per hour for the entire shift.  An employer or supervisor should encourage frequent water and breaks to ensure all employees are remaining hydrated.  Remind your employees not to wait until they are thirsty to drink water.  Thirst is the body's method of telling you that it is already in the early stages of dehydration. 
Your written procedures for heat illness prevention should outline who is responsible for maintaining adequate supply of drinking water on a jobsite.  Your written procedure should also indicate proper facilitation of water breaks throughout the day. 

OSHA Outreach Training

Before we leave you, remember that training your employees is the easiest way to protect them.  OSHA recommends using the OSHA Outreach 10 hour course as an introduction to safety for all employees.  After completion, your employees will receive the official Department of Labor OSHA 10 hour card.  OSHA recommends using the OSHA Outreach 30 hour course as requirement for all supervisors.  This gives them additional training in hazard recognition allowing them to better watch over your employees.  Once again, upon completion of the course, your employees will receive the official Department of Labor OSHA Outreach 30 hour card.  Both of these courses are available online at www.easysafetyschool.com.