Public Health Institute’s Post

Teamsters are praising the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board for unanimously passing new heat standards for indoor workers. The new regulation represents a big step forward in the fight to secure safer working conditions for inside workers in the state, especially warehouse workers. Under the new rules, employers will be required to provide heat safety training, cooling areas, and water when the indoor temperature reaches 82 degrees. If the temperature exceeds that, then required measures can include cooling devices, adjustments in work schedules, more breaks, and a slower production pace. The Teamsters Union has long advocated for stronger heat protections for workers and was involved in drafting the initial language of the new Cal/OSHA heat standards. The Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Place of Employment standards will go before the Office of Administrative Law, which has 30 days to review it. However, the Cal/OSHA board has asked the agency to expedite the matter in order to have the heat regulations in place sooner. https://lnkd.in/eD6e-JpG

Very important to stay hydrated on hot days.

As the days continue to scorch from the latest heat wave, indoor workers will be thrilled to learn that California has mandated heat protections for them too! Because facilities like warehouses, restaurants and refineries can send the mercury rising, California Department of Industrial Relations (Cal/OSHA) is now requiring employers to: > Provide employees with cool places to take breaks when the thermometer tops 82 degrees > Change how people work after 87 degrees > Provide PPE for the heat if necessary GEKLAW applauds these efforts to protect an estimated 1.4 million people statewide. But if a workplace injury occurs in spite of safeguards, call (213) 739-7000 to help with your workers’ compensation claim. https://lnkd.in/eY-Uk-J2

New Rules Will Protect California Workers From Dangerous Heat Indoors California’s Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board voted Thursday afternoon to implement rules protecting indoor workers from extreme heat. California now joins just two other states, Oregon and Minnesota, that protect people who work indoors in facilities like warehouses, restaurants and refineries. The state estimates the new rule will apply to about 1.4 million people who work indoors in conditions that can easily become dangerously hot. “It's an urgent public health crisis, the impact of heat on health, as we're seeing across the country,” says Laura Stock, a former Cal/OSHA Standards Board member and the director of the Labor Occupational Health Program at the University of California, Berkeley. “There was an urgent need for this regulation. It's in line with what we already have in California, which is the recognition that heat is a life-threatening exposure hazard.” Now, when indoor temperatures hit 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers will be required to provide employees with cool places to take breaks. Above 87 degrees, they’ll need to change how people work. That could mean shifting work activities to cooler times of the day, for example, or cooling down workspaces using tools like fans or air conditioning. The rule could be implemented by early August, says Eric Berg, Cal/OSHA’s deputy chief of health and research and standards. That can’t come quickly enough for workers facing dangerously hot weather already, says Tim Shadix, legal director of the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, a worker advocacy group based in Southern California. “In the worst places we've seen, you know, in the summer, those workplaces, they're kind of like a tin can baking in the sun,” Shadix says. “We hope there are no further delays and employees and employers are informed of these new protections before summer’s end.” Early June saw record-breaking temperatures across the state, well above 100 degrees in some inland regions home to thousands of warehouses. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group recently determined that June’s heat wave was longer, hotter and 35 times more likely to occur than in a world without human-caused climate change. Sarah Fee used to work in warehouses in the Inland Empire, in Southern California. Outdoor temperatures regularly hover in the 90s or above during the summer, and many warehouses are as hot, or sometimes hotter, than the outdoors. “I would leave work, my shirt would be soaked in sweat, and I would be absolutely nauseous,” she says. “Fans weren’t enough.” A spotty patchwork of heat rules nationwide There are no national rules protecting workers, outdoors or indoors, from dangerous heat. Employers are required to provide workplaces “free from recognized hazards” under the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s General Duty clause, including heat, but worker advocates point out

California’s Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board voted on guidance for employers to handle high temperatures in indoor work environments. This rule entails the following: 🌡 When indoor temperatures reach 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must provide staff with cool places to take breaks. 🌡 When indoor temperatures reach 87 degrees Fahrenheit, employers will need to make greater adjustments, such as shifting schedules to cooler times of the day or cooling down workstations with air conditioners or fans. The rule hasn't gone into effect yet, but we've heard murmurs that it could be implemented by August. Whether you're navigating how to manage this or other recent regulations, turn to your SoCal NTMA community for guidance and advice. https://bit.ly/4aWy7B3 #Californiamanufacturing #manufacturingnetworkworkstations

New Rules Will Protect California Workers From Dangerous Heat Indoors California’s Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board voted yesterday afternoon to implement rules protecting indoor workers from extreme heat. The context: California now joins just two other states, Oregon and Minnesota, that protect people who work indoors in facilities like warehouses, restaurants and refineries. The state estimates the new rule will apply to about 1.4 million people who work indoors in conditions that can easily become dangerously hot. What it means: Now, when indoor temperatures hit 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers will be required to provide employees with cool places to take breaks. Above 87 degrees, they’ll need to change how people work. That could mean shifting work activities to cooler times of the day, for example, or cooling down workspaces using tools like fans or air conditioning. What's next: The rule could be implemented by early August, says Eric Berg, Cal/OSHA’s deputy chief of health and research and standards. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4cwQX22 ✍️ Alejandra Borunda | NPR 📸 Virginie Goubier/AFP via Getty Images

On July 2nd, OSHA proposed a long-anticipated rule that outlines steps employers must take to protect indoor and outdoor workers from the risk of heat injuries and illness suffered by workers that are making deliveries, carrying mail all day, working construction, picking vegetables, repairing power lines, doing landscaping, and more. This is the first major regulation aimed at preventing heat-related deaths on the job as ordered by President Biden. Let take a closer look at the OSHA heat standard requirements. https://lnkd.in/g-p9ichB #osha #heatinjury #workplacehealth #employeehealth #employeewellness #hr #construction #landscaping #warehousing #manufacturing

🚒 This week on #backtobasics, we look at the importance of taking steps to be ready for #workplace #fires 🔥 by having #safe and #unobstructed routes to visible and unlocked #exitdoors 🚪 and an #emergencyactionplan. 🧯 Click here to learn more. https://bit.ly/3vheoNb #firesafety Occupational Safety and Health Administration

This Workers Memorial Day, we honor those lost or injured due to workplace incidents and illnesses, emphasizing the importance of workplace safety education to prevent future tragedies. In 2021, 5,190 workers died on the job in the United States, with an additional 120,000 succumbing to occupational diseases. This day commemorates the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, guaranteeing the right to a safe job through the labor movement's efforts. Despite progress, approximately 343 workers still die daily from workplace hazards, underscoring ongoing safety challenges. Anti-regulatory measures threaten worker well-being, highlighting the need for continued advocacy and collective action to ensure every worker's right to a safe and dignified workplace. AFL-CIO Occupational Safety and Health Administration For more information on advocacy go to aflcio.org/ To view the workers memorial wall go to osha.gov/workers-memorial #safetyfirst #worklife #protection #safe #security #work #futureofwork #workplacewellness #workersmemorialday #osha #construction #union #ppe #safety #unionstrong #engineering #worker #plumbing #plumbers #builder #contractor #building #constructionlife #contractorsofinstagram #chicago #mechanicalcontractor

https://lnkd.in/exfWZP3a This article's focus on OSHA's proposed standard to address heat-related risks in the workplace is crucial for safeguarding the well-being of employees, especially in industries susceptible to extreme heat conditions. The emphasis on mandatory education programs, employer responsibilities in treating heat stress as a medical emergency, and protective measures signifies a proactive approach in prioritizing worker safety. If implemented, these measures could significantly enhance workplace conditions and mitigate the impact of extreme heat on workers' health, reflecting a positive step forward in ensuring occupational safety.