OSHA Offers Heat Illness Webinar

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is offering a free three-part webinar on preventing heat illness at work on May 10, 17 and 24. The training is designed to “offer critical guidance on how to identify heat stress, how it affects the human body, and how to prevent it on the job.” Topics will include recognizing heat-related illness as well as strategies and best practices to prevent heat illness at work.

While the federal OSHA is still working on its heat illness regulation, Nevada OSHA has completed the public hearing process for its heat illness regulation which should be finalized soon. Nevada’s regulation requires the following:

• An employer whose employees are exposed to temperatures at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit must draft and implement a program for the management of heat illness. The regulation specifies what must be included in the program, such as provisions for water and shade as well as monitoring for heat illness and emergency procedures.
• An employer whose employees are exposed to temperatures at or about 90 degrees Fahrenheit must provide training to all supervisory and nonsupervisory employees who may be affected by issues relating to heat illness. The regulation specifies the topics for such training.
• All employers must do the following if an employee shows signs of heat illness: relieve the employee from duty; provide the employee with means to reduce his or her body temperature; and monitor the employee to determine whether medical attention is necessary.

All Nevada employers have a duty to protect employees from heat injury and illness. Given this duty and Nevada’s new, upcoming regulation, OSHA’s training sessions offer a good opportunity for employers to obtain up-to-date information on preventing heat injuries in the workplace. If you have questions about Nevada’s regulation, please contact a KZA attorney. 

KZA Employer Report articles are for general information only; they are not intended and should not be construed to be legal advice. Reading or replying to such articles does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In addition, because the subject matters and applicable laws discussed in Employer Report articles are often in a state of change and not always applicable to every type of business entity or organization, readers should consult with counsel before making decisions based on the same.