Working outdoors during this California heat wave? Here are your rights and protections

Californians working outdoors during this week’s triple-digit temperatures are protected by nearly two-decade-old heat illness prevention standards.

The rules, established in 2006, are enforced by Cal-OSHA and designed to ensure safe working conditions in hot environments for employees in agriculture, construction, landscaping, oil and gas extraction and transportation industries .

Last month, the state approved heat regulations for indoor workers , but the rules must still undergo a legal review. They are likely to take effect later this year.

Until then, here’s what to know about heat protection rights if you’re in an outdoor industry.

Access to water

Employers must provide their workers with a continued supply of water that is fresh, pure and “suitably cool.” The water must be offered an area “as close as practicable” to where employees are working.

If water is not continuously supplied, workers must be given at least one quart of drinking water per hour for the entire shift. Employers should encourage their workers to drink water frequently.

When does shade become mandated?

Shade is required for employees when the temperature reaches 80 degrees.

The shaded areas must be open to air, ventilated or cooled and large enough for employees to rest comfortably without being in the sun or touching one another. Workers should be encouraged to rest in the shade for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so.

Employers are exempt from the shade rules if they can prove it is “unsafe or unfeasible” to have a shaded work area or create alternative access. Misting machines are an option of alternative access, except for those working in the agricultural industry.

Shade can also be requested when outdoor work area temperatures don’t exceed 80 degrees.

High-heat procedures

When temperatures reach 95 degrees, employers must implement additional procedures to ensure safe working conditions. These include observing employees for signs and symptoms of heat illness, regular communication with workers and pre-shift meetings to review procedures.

Employers must also designate one worker at each worksite to call for emergency medical services.

For employees in the agricultural industry, 10-minute breaks every two hours are mandated in 95-degree or higher weather.

How to file a complaint?

It is illegal for California employers to discharge or discriminate against a worker for exercising their heat rights.

To file a complaint, workers can contact their Cal-OSHA office by calling 1-866-924-9757. Information needed to file complaints includes employee information, name, address and phone number of worksite and description and location of the hazard.

More information on heat standards is available on the California Department of Industrial Relations’ website .