Program Compliance Strategy
Nothing in this plan prevents a manager or supervisor from encouraging good heat related work practices when local temperatures are hot but do not reach the thresholds detailed below.
Outdoor Work Assignments
Managers and supervisors shall ensure that they are aware of the most current and accurate meteorological information (ambient temperature and relative humidity) in areas of the campus where they will be assigning employees to work. The manager and/or supervisor shall implement the proper controls when local weather conditions have achieved, or are expected to achieve the following threshold: more than 48 hours with day time temperatures at or above 90° F and relative humidity at or above 80%.
Note: Managers and supervisors may consult the KE6JDC Weather Net for accurate information regarding weather within the local campus vicinity.
In these conditions, the manager and/or supervisor shall implement the following worker protection controls.
- Prior to the start of the work shift, when weather conditions require the application of the HIPP, managers and/or supervisors shall meet with their employees, and review the work procedures to be used during the high heat period.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall ensure that exposed employees have access to cool potable drinking water. Water must be provided to employees at the beginning of the work shift in sufficient quantities to ensure that employees can consume one quart of potable water per hour.
- Employees may be provided with smaller quantities of water if provisions are made to supply one quart of water per hour per employee.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall encourage frequent drinking of water by employees.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall ensure that employees assigned work outdoors and exposed to high environmental temperatures shall have quick and effective access to a rest area where shade is available, or to an area where ventilation or cooling is provided for a period of not less than 5 minutes. Employees shall have access to shade or cooling at all times during the work shift.
Work Assignments in Indoor Environments
Where employees are assigned work in an indoor environment where ambient temperatures will meet of exceed 100° F, managers and supervisors will ensure that:
- Prior to the start of the work shift, when interior environmental conditions require the application of the HIPP, managers and/or supervisors shall meet with their employees, and review the work procedures to be used during the high heat period.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall ensure that exposed employees have access to cool potable drinking water. Water must be provided to employees at the beginning of the work shift in sufficient quantities to ensure that employees can consume one quart of potable water per hour.
- Employees may be provided with smaller quantities of water if provisions are made to supply one quart of water per hour per employee.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall encourage frequent drinking of water by employees.
- Managers and/or supervisors shall ensure that employees assigned work outdoors and exposed to high environmental temperatures shall have quick and effective access to a rest area where shade is available, or to an area where ventilation or cooling is provided for a period of not less than 5 minutes. Employees shall have access to shade or cooling at all times during the work shift.
Work in Full – Body Protective Clothing (FBPC)
FBPC is used on this campus for non-routine emergency response to hazardous materials releases and for routine maintenance/construction – related tasks.
- When an employee wishes to wear a full – body protective suit (Tyvek, breathable Kleenguard, etc.) to solely prevent soiling street clothing from a routine work assignment, and no exposure to hazardous materials is anticipated, and the temperature is not expected to meet or exceed the HIPP action thresholds, the manager and/or supervisor shall comply with the following:
- Employees shall be advised to pre-hydrate before donning suit and beginning work.
- Employees shall be advised to continue drinking sufficient water to maintain a hydration rate of one 500ml bottle of water per hour.
- Employees shall be instructed to get out of the direct sun, and into a shaded area, for at least 5 minutes every hour.
- When emergency conditions are present and the responders are required to protect themselves from any chemical, physical or biological hazard, the following work practices shall be implemented (by properly and currently trained staff):
- Supervisors shall ensure that active cooling equipment is available for employee use, and that employees have been trained in the use of the equipment prior to work assignment.
- Supervisors shall limit work assignments for employees to allow sufficient rest time for fluid replacement and restoration of nominal vital signs.
- Every effort shall be made to schedule work in the coolest part of the day, usually early morning, to mitigate the need for active cooling equipment.
- If conditions do not permit off hours scheduling, supervisors shall ensure that baseline vital signs for employees shall not exceed established thresholds (see Appendix D).