Osha San Francisco

CAL-OSHA HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION STANDARDS - WILL THEY AFFECT SAN FRANCISCO?

CAL-OSHA HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION REGULATIONS

How and When They Can Affect Both Union and Non-Union Employers in San Francisco

Little did many of us know, the State of California recently passed regulations designed to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses.  While the new Cal-OSHA regulation, Title 8, CCR, Section 3395, was implemented in 2006 under then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it seems that there are many California employers who are covered under the standards, but are not even aware they exist.  This is especially true in cities like San Francisco, where the temperature rarely hits or exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which certain safety protocols must be observed to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.

The Heat Illness Prevention regulation covers all employers who are engaged in outdoor work, for all of their outdoor  employment venues within the State of California.  However, the regulations were developed primarily in response to five deaths which took place within a fairly short period of time in the Agricultural Industry.  In view of this, it seems the Agricultural Industry was and still is the primary focus of both education and enforcement efforts by CAL-OSHA.    

According to Jeremy Smith, of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, the Building and Construction Trades Union had input into the development and implementation of the new heat prevention standards, but he admitted that the main focus has consistently been on the Agricultural Industry.  Mr. Smith was very careful to express his personal feelings that this was not due to any dereliction of duty or lack of will on the part of CAL-OSHA to enforce these standards more uniformly over the five industries identified in Section 3395, but rather, due to under staffing of CAL-OSHA Field Inspectors.  Mr. Smith did say there is a reinvigorated effort under way by the SBCTC that includes dialog with our current Governor, Jerry Brown.  Smith hopes that this will facilitate a more uniform approach of the enforcement of the regulations on a state-wide basis.

Even temperate San Francisco is responsible for heat illness ...

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