| Safety Manual
Heat Related Illness Safety Program |  |
| --- | --- |
|  | Effective:09-05 |
| Policy Section No.:26 | Revision Date:08-17 |
| Revision No.:6 | Page No.:1 of 8 |

## HEAT RELATED ILLNESS SAFETY PROGRAM

## 1.

## Purpose:

1.1 To provide a safe and healthful working environment and protect  
Therma employees who are exposed to temperature extremes,  
radiant heat, humidity, or limited air movement while working from  
heat related illnesses.

## 2.

## Policy:

2.1 The workplace will be evaluated to determine if Therma employees  
are at high risk from heat related illnesses during temperature  
extremes and hot weather while working. If it is determined  
employees are at risk they will be trained to be aware of the heat  
related illnesses, and procedures to take if symptoms are present.

2.2 This program shall be made available to all employees.

2.3 *Therma shall develop and maintain a Heat Illness Prevention Plan.*  
*The plan shall, at a minimum, consist of; procedures for the*
*provision of water and access to shade; high heat procedures;*  
*emergency response procedures; acclimatization methods; training*  
*requirements. The plan shall be available to employees at the*
*worksite, as well as to representatives of Cal/OSHA upon request.*
*The plan will be considered available at the worksite if, it can be*
*displayed for employees on a cell phone or other electronic device*
*upon request.*

## 3.

## Implementation of Therma Heat Stress Program:

3.1 Therma will implement this Heat Stress Program when employees  
are at risk of heat related illnesses while they are working and are  
exposed to a combination of environmental risk factors such as  
temperature extremes, radiant heat, humidity, limited  
air movement, protective clothing, workload severity and duration.

## 4.

## Training:

4.1 Training will be provided prior to job assignment.

4.2 Employee training: Training in the following topics will be provided  
to all supervisory and non-supervisory employees:

4.2.1 Environmental and personal risk factors for heat illness.

4.2.2 Procedures for identifying, evaluating, and controlling  
exposures to the environmental and personal risk factors for  
heat illness.

4.2.3 The importance of frequent consumption of water.

4.2.4 The *concept*, importance, and *method* of acclimatization.

4.2.5 The different types of heat illness and the common signs  
and symptoms or signs of heat illness.

4.2.6 The importance of immediately reporting to the employer or  
designee symptoms or signs of heat illness.

4.2.7 Procedure for responding to symptoms of possible heat  
illness, including how emergency services will be provided  
should they become necessary.

4.2.8 Procedure for contacting emergency medical services, and if  
necessary, for transporting employees to a point where they  
can be reached by medical service personnel.

4.2.9 How to provide clear and precise directions to the work site.

4.2.10 *Therma’s responsibility to provide water, shade, cool-down*  
*rests, and access to first aid as well as the employees’ right*  
*to exercise their rights without retaliation.*

4.3 Supervisor training: Prior to assignment to supervision of  
employees working in the heat, training on the following topics will  
occur:

4.3.1 The information provided for employee training.

4.3.2 Procedures the supervisor will follow to implement controls  
as determined by the employer.

4.3.3 Procedures the supervisor will follow when an employee  
exhibits symptoms consistent with possible heat illness,  
including emergency response procedures.

4.4 *Training records shall be maintained for a period of no less than 3*  
years

## 5.

## Controls for reducing heat exposure:

5.1 Therma’s supervisors will evaluate the potential for heat stress. If  
environmental conditions are present the supervisor will implement  
controls, such as; work/rest regimen, starting jobs earlier and  
ending earlier to avoid hot times of the day, and/or, provisions for  
gaining access to shade.

5.2 Acclimatization: Acclimatization means temporary adaptation of the  
body to work in the heat that occurs gradually when a person is  
exposed to it. Acclimatization peaks in most people within four to  
fourteen days of regular work for at least two hours per day in the  
heat. In fully acclimatized individuals, sweating starts faster and the  
sweat carries less salt and other minerals out of the body. As a  
result, by sweating more efficiently the body cools down faster.  
Also there is less demand on the heart and cardiovascular system.  
For the reasons given above, *being fully acclimatized can allow*  
*workers to continue working in warm or hot conditions and*  
*decreases the risk of heat illness and unsafe acts*.

5.2.1 Methods to acclimatize employees who are working in hot  
environments:

• If they are not accustomed to working in warm or hot  
environments, they should start work slowly and pick up  
the pace gradually.

• Assign employees to less physically demanding tasks  
during their first 14 days of working in a warm or hot  
environment.

• Schedule and provide frequent breaks. Supply sufficient  
amounts of drinking water

• *Any employee who has been newly assigned to a hot*  
*environment shall be closely observed by a supervisor or*  
*designee for the first 14 days of the employee's*  
*employment*.

## 6.

## Provisions for water:

6.1 An adequate supply of *fresh, pure, and clean, and suitably cool*  
potable drinking water *shall be located as close as practicable to*  
*the areas where employees are working* and will be supplied to  
employees per safety standards. Employees will be notified of the  
location of potable water and encouraged to drink. Where it is not  
plumbed or otherwise continuously supplied, it shall be provided in  
sufficient quantity at the beginning of the work shift to provide one  
quart per employee per hour for drinking for the entire shift.

## 7.

## Access to Shade:

*7.1* The company shall provide access to shade when the temperature  
reaches *80* degrees or upon request by employee when  
temperature is below 80 degrees. Shade can be in the form of  
“pop-ups”, umbrellas, or tree-covered areas*. Employees shall be*  
*allowed and encouraged to take a preventative cool down rest in*  
the shade whenever they feel the need to do so to protect them*  
*from overheating.*

*7.2 An individual employee who takes a preventative cool-down rest (A)*  
*shall be monitored and asked if he or she is experiencing symptoms*  
*of heat illness; (B) shall be encouraged to remain in the shade; and*  
*(C) shall not be ordered back to work until any signs or symptoms*  
of heat illness have abated. If an employee exhibits signs or reports*  
symptoms of heat illness while taking a preventative cool-down*  
*rest, the employer shall provide appropriate first aid or emergency*  
*response.*

7.3 Access shall be permitted at all times.

7.4 Locate the shade structure as close as practicable to the areas  
where employees are working.

7.5 “Rule of Thumbs”:  The amount of shade present should be at least  
enough to accommodate *the number of employees on recovery or*  
*rest periods. The amount of shade present during meal periods*  
*shall be at least enough to accommodate the number of employees*  
*on the meal period who remain onsite.*

## 8.

## High Heat Procedures:

8.1 In the event temperatures *equal or* exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit,  
the following procedures shall be implemented:

• Ensure communication methods are available so  
employees can contact their supervisors when  
necessary.

• Supervisors shall observe employees for alertness and  
sign / symptoms of heat illness *by implementing one or*  
*more of the following:*

o *Supervisor or designee observation of 20 or*  
fewer employees, or*

o *Mandatory buddy system, or*

o *Regular communication with sole employee*  
such as by radio or cellular phone, or*

o *Other effective means of observation.*

• *Pre-shift meetings before the commencement of work to*  
*review the high heat procedures, encourage employees*  
to drink plenty of water, and remind employees of their*  
*right to take a cool-down rest when necessary.*

• *Designating one or more employees on each worksite*  
*as authorized to call for emergency medical services,*  
and allowing other employees to call for emergency*  
*services when no designated employee is available.*

• Reminding employees throughout the work shift to drink  
plenty of water.

## 9.

## First Aid awareness and actions in the event of a heat related illness:

9.1 Procedures for contacting emergency responders for heat illness  
emergencies shall be established in the Site Medical Plan. This  
plan shall be posted and clearly communicated to employees prior  
to the start of work.

9.2 Remote Locations: The beginning of each day the supervisor shall  
evaluate his/her work site to determine if transportation from a  
remote location to a location where they could be reached by an  
emergency medical responder if an emergency occurs. These  
procedures shall be included in the Site Medical Plan.

9.3 The following chart helps employees recognize the main type of  
heat related illnesses, symptoms, and the appropriate treatment to  
reduce the effects of the heat related illness.

|  | Symptoms | Treatment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heat Cramps | muscle spasms in legs or abdomen | move person to a cooler location stretch muscles for cramps give cool water or electrolyte-containing fluid to drink |
| Heat exhaustion | headaches clumsiness dizziness/fainting weakness/exhaustion heavy sweating/clammy skin confusion rapid breathing rapid/weak pulse seizures | move person to a cooler location(do not leave alone) loosen and remove heavy clothing that restricts evaporative cooling if conscious, provide small amounts of cool water to drink fan person, spray with cool water,or apply a wet cloth to skin to increase evaporative cooling call 911 if not feeling better within a few minutes |
| Heat stroke | sweating may or may not be present red/flushed,hot dry skin bizarre behavior mental confusion or loss | call 911 move person to a cooler location(do not leave alone) loosen and remove |

## 10. Definitions

10.1 “Heat Related Illness” – means a serious medical condition  
resulting for the body’s inability to cope with a particular heat load,  
and includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat  
syncope (fainting) and heat stroke.

10.2 <u>“Environmental risk factors for heat illness” – means working</u>  
conditions that create the possibility that heat illness could occur,  
including air temperature, relative humidity, radiant heat from the  
sun and other sources, conductive heat sources such as ground,  
air movement, workload severity and duration, protective clothing  
and personal protective equipment worn by employees. These  
conditions will be considered when determining that Therma is  
implementing controls and methods to reduce the potential for heat  
related illness.

10.3 “Personal risk factors for heat illness” – means factors such as  
individual’s age, degree of acclimatization, health, water  
consumption, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption, and use  
of prescription medications that affect the  
body’s water retention or other physiological responses to heat.

10.4 “Shade” – *means blockage of direct sunlight. One indicator that*  
*blockage is sufficient is when objects do not cast a shadow in the*  
*area of blocked sunlight. Shade is not adequate when heat in the*  
*area of shade defeats the purpose of shade, which is to allow the*  
*body to cool. For example, a car sitting in the sun does not provide*  
*acceptable shade to a person inside it, unless the car is running*  
*with air conditioning. Shade may be provided by any natural or*  
*artificial means that does not expose employees to unsafe or*  
*unhealthy conditions and that does not deter or discourage access*  
*or use.*

10.5 <u>“Heat</u> *wave” - Any day in which the predicted high temperature for*  
the day will be at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit and at least ten*  
degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average high daily temperature*  
in the preceding five days.