• The environmental and personal risk factors for heat illness, and the added burden of heat load on the body caused by exertion, clothing and PPE.
• The employer’s procedures for complying with this standard’s requirements, including but not limited to:
• The employer’s responsibility to provide water, shade/cool-down areas, cool-down rests, control measures (indoor only), and access to first aid.
• The employee’s right to exercise their rights under the heat illness standard without retaliation.
• The importance of frequent consumption of small quantities of water, up to four cups per hour, when the work environment is hot and employees are likely to sweat more than usual in performing their duties.
• The concept, importance and methods of acclimatization, pursuant to the employer’s procedures as set forth in its Heat Illness Prevention Plan.
• The different types of heat illness, heat illness’ common signs and symptoms, and appropriate first aid and/or emergency responses to the different types of heat illness. Training also should cover that heat illness may progress quickly from mild symptoms and signs to a serious and life threatening illness.
• The importance that employees should immediately report symptoms or signs of heat illness in themselves or in co-workers to the employer, directly or through the employee’s supervisor.
• The employer’s procedures for responding to signs or symptoms of possible heat illness, including how emergency medical services will be provided if they’re necessary.
• The employer’s procedures for contacting emergency medical services, and if necessary, for transporting employees to a point where an emergency medical service provider can reach them.
• The employer’s procedures for ensuring that, in the event of an emergency, emergency responders will receive clear and precise directions to the worksite as needed. These procedures must include designating a person to ensure that emergency procedures are invoked when appropriate.

Training must be effective and, according to the guidance, must be understood by employees. This includes providing training in a language employees understand. Inspectors will look for indicators that the employer has made a good faith effort to communicate all essential information to employees.

Cal/OSHA will examine both the training content and how it is presented. The test for compliance, according to Cal/OSHA is:

• Whether training has occurred;
• Whether the required content has been provided; and
• Whether the training has been effective in communicating the essentials to employees.

• Work procedures should be consistent with the information provided in the training.

Cal/OSHA guidance states that training should occur at the time of hire with refresher training as needed. It is best to provide refresher training as the hot season approaches.

Supervisor Training

Prior to being assigned to manage employees working in the heat or performing work that should reasonably be anticipated to result in exposure to the risk of heat illness, supervisors must be trained on the following topics:

• Information employees are required to receive as listed above.
• Procedures supervisors must follow in implementing the standard’s applicable provisions.
• Procedures supervisors must follow when an employee exhibits signs or reports symptoms consistent with possible heat illness, including emergency response procedures.
• How to monitor weather reports and respond to hot weather advisories and, for indoor workers, where the work area is affected by outdoor temperatures.

Where employers are covered by both the outdoor and indoor heat standards, the training programs can be integrated.

1. 8 CCR secs.3395(h), 3396(h)