Safety Alert: New Indoor Heat Regulation

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved an indoor heat illness regulation. The new regulation requires indoor workplaces to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit if feasible when employees are present, and below 82 degrees if feasible in places where workers wear protective clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high radiant heat areas.  

Indoor places of employment are spaces that are under a ceiling or overhead covering that restricts airflow and enclosed along the entire perimeter by walls, doors, windows, dividers, or other physical barriers that restrict airflow, whether open or closed. Generally, any workplace with a roof and enclosed sides is considered an indoor workplace. Many construction projects will start as an outdoor workplace and turn into an indoor workplace. Indoor workplaces include jobsite trailers and even shipping containers if they are occupied for longer periods of time.

The similarities to the current heat illness standard:

• The standard mirrors the existing heat illness standard to the extent possible.
• Requirements including providing water, emergency response, acclimatization, training, and the written plan are similar to the outdoor heat requirements.
• You can have two separate Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) or a combination HIPP.

Cool-down areas:

• Outdoors you must have shade; indoors you need a “cool-down area.”
• A cool-down area is an indoor or outdoor area that is blocked from direct sunlight, shielded from high-radiant heat sources, and either open to the air or provided with ventilation or cooling. 
• An indoor cool-down area must be maintained at less than 82oF unless it is infeasible.
• Cool-down areas must be large enough to accommodate the number of workers on rest breaks so they can sit comfortably without touching each other.

Assessing and controlling indoor heat:

• Outdoor requirements are based on the weather forecast; indoors you must measure the temperature and heat index in the work areas and implement controls to stay under the trigger temperatures.
• Feasible engineering controls to reduce the temperature must be used first, then add administrative controls if those are not enough then add PPE.
  • Ventilation, cooling fans or air conditioning are examples of engineering controls.
  • Earlier work hours or rotating people out of the heat are administrative controls.
  • PPE can include cooling vests, or neck wraps or other cooling garments.
• Heat index is what the temperature feels like when the effect of humidity is combined with the temperature.

The Indoor Heat Requirements went into effect July 23.

Member Resources:

• UCON now has a Heat Illness Prevention Program template for a combined indoor and outdoor HIPP (Members Only).
• UCON had created 2 additional resources:
  1. Cal/OSHA Heat Requirements Side-by-Side Comparison
  2. Heat Illness Requirements - Indoor-Outdoor Quick Reference
• Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Guidance and Resources
• OSHA Heat Illness Fact Sheets

For more information, or support related to Safety Regulations and Advocacy, contact Mike Donlon at (916) 834-1896, or United Contractors (925) 855-7900.