Indoor Heat Illness Prevention is Now in Effect

California’s indoor heat worker protections were approved on July 23, 2024, by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). This new regulation goes into effect immediately to protect indoor workers from heat illness.
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On June 20, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved California Code of Regulations, Title 8, section 3396 “Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment” and requested that the regulation take effect immediately after OAL approval.

Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment regulation applies to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. For indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness. Some of the requirements include providing water, rest, cool-down areas, and training.

Additional requirements, where feasible, apply where the temperature reaches 87 degrees such as cooling down the work area, implementing work-rest schedules, and providing personal heat-protective equipment. Where workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high radiant heat areas, the additional requirements apply at 82 degrees.
Cal/OSHA has developed educational materials and resources to help employers understand and comply with these requirements.

New educational materials and resources include:

• Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention webpage
• Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Combined Indoor and Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention Model Plan for Employers
• Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Fact Sheet for Employers
• Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Fact Sheet for Workers
• Indoor Heat Illness Prevention webpage
• Comparison Chart of Indoor and Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention Standards