b'(conti nued from page 8) water that is placed in locations readily accessible to employees, suitably cool, and in sufficient quantities toWhen working with a high heat trigger, you must provide at least one quart of drinking water per employeeobserve your employees for signs and symptoms of heat per hour. Also, there is an explanation of the requirementillness. This will include a mandatory buddy system where for break areas at outdoor and indoor work areas. Forworkers observe each other, or observation by a supervisor or outdoor work areas, the employer must provide areas forheat safety coordinator with no more than twenty employees employees to take breaks that can accommodate theto observe. For employees working at a worksite alone, you number of employees on break and which are accessible towill need to maintain two-way communications with the solo the work area and provide artificial shade from a tent oremployee and make contact with the employee at least every pavilion, (but not from equipment), or air conditioning intwo hours. Also, before the shift starts if you have an enclosure. For indoor work areas, the employer mustdetermined there is a high heat trigger, you will have to provide a means to get increased air movement with fansnotify your employees of drinking plenty of water, their right or comparable natural ventilation.Air conditioning is alsoto, at their election, take rest breaks if needed, and remind an available mechanism. If the employer has radiant heatthem how to seek help and the procedures to take in a heat sources inside the facility, it must take steps to effectivelyemergency. reduce employee exposure to the radiant heat source. If you find the indoor worksite is under excessively The new standard also addresses acclimatization.high heat temperatures (exceeding 120F) on a regular basis, It requires that new employees be acclimated by gradualyou will be required to post warning signs, which are legible, acclimatization, with the employee exposure to heat beingvisible, and understandable for employees entering the work restricted to no more than 20% the first day, 40% on theareas. second day, and so forth until fully acclimated. For returning employees, you must reacclimate them by noThere is a long list of steps to take for heat illness more than 50% of a normal work shift the first day, 60%and emergency response/planning in the new standard. We the second day and 80% on the third day. An exception towill be doing a webinar on these requirements in the near this requirement exists if the employer can demonstratefuture, and we will get into much more detail on these that the employee consistently worked under the same orrequirements at that time. similar conditions as the employers working conditionsSimilarly, there is a long list of topics and materials within the prior fourteen days.to be covered in your formal training. Annual refresher training is also a requirement. Also, there is a list of topics Rest breaks if needed. This is a significantyou need to discuss as part of your supervisor training. For change from the NIOSH criteria document regarding restthose who know me, you know that my first focus is breaks. Under the new standard, the employer must allowprotection of employees and secondarily to that is my and encourage employees to take paid rest breaks, ifconcern about OSHA compliance and avoiding OSHA needed, to prevent overheating. Interpretating the NIOSHcitations and fines. So, while I am and will be discussing Criteria Document, the employer had to make sure theOSHA compliance, I will also remind you of areas and topics employees all took the rest breaks scheduled for them.that are important, even though not a part of the standard.Under the new standard, it appears that employees will have more to say about if and when they feel they need to take a rest break.Finally, you, the employer, must maintain effective communications with your employees in theBy Gary Auman, Auman Mahan & Furry Attorneys field. You are required to regularly communicate with your employees. Again, be sure you document what you are doing to comply with the standard and to protect your employees. Also, you must document those cases when you feel you can deviate from the protections required by the standard. Because we will now havea standard, you will no longer have all of the flexibility to comply as you did under the General Duty Clause.Finally, we move on to situations where employees will be working in conditions above the high heat trigger. When the work environment moves into this area, you will have to implement some changes. First, you will be required to provide all employees fifteen-minute rest breaks every two hours. You may count a meal break as a rest break, but you cannot count the time it takes them to don or doff their equipment as a rest break. 20'