SAN FRANCISCO – Last June, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved new heat illness prevention regulations in response to heat-related deaths in the state. To make employers and supervisors fully aware of the new standards, the State Compensation Insurance Fund is partnering with Cal/OSHA Consultation Service to present “Heat Illness Prevention for Outdoor Work” seminars. Seminars will be held throughout the state in both Spanish and English.

In 2006, Cal/OSHA investigated a number of cases of heat-related illness in California including fatalities and hospitalization of workers. Cal/OSHA created the new standard – Heat Illness Prevention Regulation §3395 – with requirements that employers must follow to protect their employees from heat exposure hazards.

Seminars are free and open to the public and will feature speakers from the State Compensation Insurance Fund Loss Control Department and Cal/OSHA Consultation Service.

Attendees will learn how Heat Illness Prevention applies to their employees and how they can meet the Cal/OSHA standard by updating and implementing their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) to reflect the new requirements. Every seminar will include a presentation on Heat Illness Prevention and the importance of having an effective IIPP.

At the seminars attendees will learn how to:

• Understand and comply with California's Heat Illness Prevention regulation
• Update their IIPP with the Heat Illness Prevention requirements:
  • Identify and evaluate heat exposure hazards and other risk factors
  • Provide remedies like water, shade and rest breaks to mitigate heat hazards
  • Implement an emergency action response plan
  • Train employees to recognize heat illness
• Obtain the information and tools to create an effective IIPP, if one is not already in place

“Summer heat is potentially deadly even if an employee is working outdoors for only a short period of time,” said State Fund’s Safety and Health Services Manager Lauren Mayfield. “Even if employers already have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program in place, it’s essential to meet the state’s new requirement, and to train supervisors and employees how to prevent heat exposure and heat-related illness.”

Seminars are scheduled for multiple dates, times, and locations.

Register now for this or other available seminars.

Seminars held throughout the year are intended to educate employers, employees, brokers and other system stakeholders about various workers’ compensation issues including how to decrease workers’ compensation costs. State Fund has the largest safety and health services program among California workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, San Francisco-based State Compensation Insurance Fund is a self-supporting, nonprofit, fairly competitive public enterprise that provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage at cost to California employers