California to become third state to mandate heat protections for indoor workers

The summary

• California is expected to implement the state’s first regulations to protect indoor workers from heat.
• The policy, which could go into effect later this summer, will require employers to provide water, breaks and cool areas when indoor temperatures hit 82 degrees.
• Oregon and Minnesota are the only other states that mandate similar protections.

California is poised to pass the state’s first regulations to protect indoor workers from extreme heat — a policy that could be implemented later this summer.

A standards board at the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the new workplace rules. That sends them on to the state's Office of Administrative Law for what is expected to be an expedited final approval, which means the standards could go into effect by early August.

The heat rule was initially expected to be implemented in 2019 but faced five years of delays. When it becomes law, the policy will protect around 1.4 million warehouse workers, restaurant employees, people with manufacturing jobs and others who labor indoors from dangerously hot working conditions.

The regulations will require employers to monitor workers for heat-related illness and provide them water, breaks and cool areas when indoor temperatures hit 82 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions reach 87 degrees, employers will need take further action, such as implementing more frequent breaks, adjusting schedules, slowing the pace of work or providing cooling devices.

Once those rules are in effect, California will join Oregon and Minnesota as the only states with policies protecting indoor workers from heat exposure. California in 2006 passed heat standards for outdoor workers,