The Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently established a new rule to protect workers from outdoor heat stress. The new rule requires employers to:
- Establish a written outdoor heat stress program as part of their Accident Prevention Program when employees work in temperatures exceeding the following action levels:
- Provide sufficient amounts of drinking water
- Establish procedures for responding to outdoor heat related illnesses
- Provide supervisor and employee training
| Outdoor Temperature & Clothing Action Levels | |
|---|---|
| All other clothing | 89° F |
| Double-layer woven clothes including coveralls, jackets and sweatshirts | 77° F |
| Non-breathing clothes including vapor barrier clothing or PPE such as chemical resistant suits | 52° F |
Environmental Health and Safety has developed a written program and training materials that departments can use to meet the new rule. Additionally, WSU Statewide Environmental Health and Safety has developed a heat stress training program that is available for departments to use as well.
In the future Environmental Health and Safety will develop a Safety Policy and Procedure section on outdoor heat stress.
Please contact Environmental Health and Safety for assistance at 509-335-3041.