This June, The Safety Spot joins the efforts of State Fund and the National Safety Council (NSC) in promoting National Safety Month. We hope you will join with us in doing your part to reduce the number injuries and accidents in the workplace – Not just this month, but all year long.
In addition to the physical and emotion pain that employees face as a result of accidental injury in the workplace, employers are presented with a myriad of other problems including: lost wages and productivity, damaged property and an increase in medical, administrative and insurance expenses.
Advance planning combined with comprehensive safety training for your employees can prevent accidental injuries in the workplace.
Did you know that California Labor Code requires every employer to provide a safe and healthful place to work for his/her employees?
Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) requires every employer to have an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program in writing.
Do YOU have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program at your workplace? How can you be sure that it meets all legal requirements?
Cal/OSHA provides a comprehensive guide to creating an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. It can be viewed at: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/iipp.html
Additionally, Cal/OSHA Consultation Services provide free assistance to employers – like you! Consultation Services can suggest sources both governmental and private for information, advice and training aids to help you develop and maintain your safety program. Consultations are free, and other services are available at a cost.
You may request these services by calling your Cal/OSHA District Office directly.
Do you have questions or comments on how to keep your workplace safe? Perhaps you’d like to see us cover a certain safety topic here at The Safety Spot. Please e-mail Samantha@calarvc.com with your suggestions – and have a safe summer!
Spring showers will soon lead to warmer summer temperatures. As the heat rises, employers are responsible for reducing the risk of heat illness in the workplace. According to Cal/OSHA heat illness regulations, California employers are required to control employees’ exposure to excessive heat.
As of June 2006, in response to heat-related deaths in the workplace, Cal/OSHA championed the first state-mandated permanent standard for heat illness prevention in the country.
This regulation defines four steps with which employers must comply:
1. Training – You must train all employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention.
2. Access to Water – You must make enough fresh water readily accessible so that every employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour. Additionally, you should encourage them to do so.
3. Access to Shade – You must provide access to shade for at least 5 minutes of rest when an employee believes he or she needs a preventative recovery period. Do not wait until an employee begins to feel ill before providing shade.
4. Planning/Written Procedures – You must develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevent Standard.
Written procedures regarding Heat Illness Prevention, including policies and drinking water, first aid and emergency response should be included as a part of your Injury Illness and Prevention Program.
In addition to these four requirements, the “Cal/OSHA Heat Advisory” (updated in August 2006) lists seven guidelines for employers to reduce on-the-job heat risks and protect the health of their employees.
1. Recognize the hazards of heat and working conditions. Heat can pose a health risk at various temperatures, depending on factors such as humidity and type of work performed. Supervisors should make it their practice to:
- Assess the day’s weather and their employees’ job duties and condition.
- Be especially vigilant during periods of abnormally high heat.
- When possible, schedule heavy work for cooler hours and postpone nonessential tasks for cooler days.
2. Supply clean, cool, potable drinking water. When working in the heat, employees should:
- Drink 4 eight-ounce glasses of water per hour, including at the beginning of the shift.
- Receive reminders and encouragement from supervisors to stay hydrated.
3. Provide shaded working and rest areas and scheduled rest breaks. Shade is essential for avoiding or relieving the effects of working in direct sunlight.
- When possible, your employees should do their jobs in the shade.
- You should always provide shaded areas for scheduled rest breaks.
- Wide-brimmed hats can also help.
4. Acclimatize workers to hotter conditions. Give employees time to get used to working in the heat.
- For heavy work in extreme heat, progressively increase their hours of exposure over the course of 4 to 10 days, beginning with about 2 hours a day.
- For less severe heat, limit employees’ heat exposure to 2 to 4 hours for the first 2 or 3 days of work.
5. Recognize the symptoms of heat illness and get prompt medical attention. If not treated promptly, early symptoms can progress quickly to serious heat illness that requires emergency medical treatment.
- Common early signs of heat illness include headache, muscle cramps, and unusual fatigue.
- More serious signs include unusual behavior, nausea/vomiting, weakness, rapid pulse, excessive sweating or hot dry skin, seizures, fainting, or loss of consciousness.
6. Establish heat illness training for supervisors and employees. The training should educate supervisors and employees about:
- The risks of heat illness.
- The proper measures needed to protect everyone in your workplace and on your jobsites.
7. Put heat illness prevention procedures in writing. The written document should consist of:
- Your procedures for identifying and controlling the risks of heat illness.
- The course of action for responding to heat illness symptoms (including emergency contact information).
- You should also incorporate your written procedures into your Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).
Cal/OSHA provides a number of other resources, including heat prevention seminars. Additionally, Cal/OSHA has created an easy reference card for employers and staff to aid them in preventing and recognizing heat-related illness.
Further detail regarding heat illness prevention and your legal obligation as an employer can be found in a comprehensive FAQ provided by Cal/OSHA.
For questions, or to obtain further resources, please contact our Safety Resource, Samantha Corbin-Endean at 530-885-1624, or samantha@calarvc.com
