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Working in the hot indoors? Businesses now required to keep their workers safe
Warehouse workers often labor in extremely hot conditions in California, as do many others who work indoors.
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Jae C. Hong/AP
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Topline:
Statewide rules that require employers to take more steps to protect people who work indoors from heat-related illness have officially taken effect.
What the rules say: The rules require employers to offer water, more breaks, cool-down areas and other measures in workplaces where indoor temperatures reach 82 degrees. If temperatures hit 87 degrees, employers have to provide additional support to workers, such as air conditioning.
Who the rules apply to: The rules apply to all indoor workplaces, including restaurants, warehouses, and industrial facilities. Prisons, jails and juvenile detention centers, however, are exempt. The state decided to not include those facilities at the last minute, citing concerns about the cost of upgrading more than 30 adult state-owned prisons across the state, most of which are cooled by fans or evaporative coolers, not air conditioning.
The background: Outdoor workers have had similar protections in place for years, but that hasn't been the case for people who work indoors. Advocates and workers, particularly warehouse workers in the Inland Empire, have been pushing for an indoor heat standard for years as the climate crisis drives increasingly dangerous extreme heat and puts more workers at risk of heat-related illness and even death.
What’s next: Enforcement of the rules will be key. That’s been a major challenge in protecting outdoor workers even with regulations on the books. If you believe your employer is not adhering to workplace safety regulations of any kind, you can file an anonymous complaint with Cal/OSHA here or call (833) 579-0927.
What about federal protections? The Biden administration has proposed heat rules that would apply to workplaces across the nation. If enacted, the rules would establish temperature standards for indoor and outdoor workers in environments where the heat index regularly rises above 80 degrees.
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