California’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard is the only one of its kind in the United States—and a recent ruling by the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board has made it so those working indoors are protected from heat hazards as well. The ruling comes after a worker suffered heat illness while inside a metal freight container.
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In a press release from the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), DIR Director Christine Baker said, “This is the first case of indoor heat considered by the Appeals Board. In this case, the ruling affirms that California’s IIPP standard can be used to address hazards that the standard does not specifically identify, including indoor heat.”
According to the release, “The case stemmed from the January 2012 serious citations Cal/OSHA issued to Tri-State Staffing (TSI), a temporary staffing agency, and warehouse operator National Distribution Center (NDC) for the heat illness suffered by an employee in August 2011. A serious violation is cited when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious harm could result from the actual hazardous condition.”
For more details, including the specific penalties levied against TSI and NDC, continue reading the full press release at the link below.