CalOSHA Advises Outdoor Workers to Take Precautions in the Heat

By Max Pringle

Extreme heat is not just uncomfortable. For people working outdoors it can be dangerous.  California safety regulators are asking employers and employees to follow a few simple guidelines so people like farm workers, roofers and construction workers can avoid getting ill.

"Drink adequate water, take preventative rest periods in the shade and know what the signs and symptoms of heat illness are.," says CalOSHA's Bill Kycia.

He says heavy sweating, difficulty concentrating and skin irritation are typical warning signs of heat illness. He adds that a spate of heat-related farm worker deaths in recent years prompted the state to pass new rules:

"Providing adequate quantities of water, making it as close as practicable to workers; same with shade, making it as close as practicable."

Employers are also required to train workers and supervisors.

Triple digit temperatures are expected to continue in many parts of the state through Thursday.