The Heat is On!

Article from my July e-newsletter

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has issued a news release warning employers to take precautions to prevent heat-related illness for anyone working outdoors in hot weather. As the weather heats up during the dog days of summer, the need for good hydration becomes even more important for workers who toil outside. Heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, is a serious health condition that can cause disability and death.

For the second summer in a row, L&I has adopted an emergency rule to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illness. The rule took effect on June 5.
According to the news release, the emergency rule includes provisions that require employers to:

- Establish and implement written procedures to prevent heat-related illness.
- Provide and make accessible enough drinking water so that on days when employees are exposed to the hazards of heat-related illness, each employee can drink at least one quart of water per hour.
- Have procedures in place for responding to employees who are experiencing or showing signs of heat-related illness.
- Provide effective heat-related-illness prevention training to employees and supervisors.

Heat-related illness is a well-known, recognized hazard in industries where employees work outdoors. Currently, it is regulated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and state safety programs.

A permanent rule will be adopted in early 2008. L&I will develop a small-business economic impact statement and will hold public hearings around the state so that all who are interested have an opportunity to participate.

For more information on workshops and training materials for preventing heat-related illness, please visit www.LNI.wa.gov/safety/topics/AtoZ/heatstress. If you operate outside of Washington State, make sure you check with your own state agency for any rule changes.

If you're outside of Washington State, make sure you're reading what your state requires. Not only is is good business to avoid costly fines, most importantly, it's good business practices to take care of your most valuable assets...your employees.

P.S. Do you need help with your safety program? Find out more about how I can help you on my web site at http://www.toroic.com/otherserv.htm#management. If you'd like to hear what people think about how I've helped them, you can visit my testimonials page at http://www.toroic.com/clients.htm. Remember, let's be safe out there!