Cal/OSHA Standards Board Sets Hearing Date, Comment Period on Heat Illness Proposal

On August 8, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board released a proposed revision to the Heat Illness Prevention Standard, Section 3395 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. At the same time, the agency set a comment period for the proposed regulation -- August 8, 2014 through September 25, 2014 -- and set a public hearing for September 26 in San Diego.

You can view the Standards Boards' notice, along with the Initial Statement of Reasons and the proposed revision at this link.

Highlights of the proposed standard include:

• Lowering the temperature for mandatory provision of shade from 85 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit;
• Provision of water within 400 feeet, or of shade within 700 fet of the work location unless the employer can demonstrat that conditions prevent it;
• A provision specifically for agriculture requiring employers to have mandatory a 10 minute "recovery period" every two hours when the temperature exceeds 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

FELS parent organization, California Farm Bureau Federation will analyze and comment on the proposal.  Watch FELS eNews and the FELS Newsletter for more information.