b'YOUR TOOLKIT FOR BUILDING EXCELLENCEa minimum fifteen-minute paid rest break at leastsigns and symptoms of a heat emergency, you must take every two hours in the established break areas. Theimmediate actions to reduce their body temperature time for employees to walk to and from the break areabefore emergency medical services arrive. You should is not included in the time they are required to rest incontact emergency medical services immediately in the break area. Also, you must provide methods for observation of employees for signs and symptoms ofYour initial training for employees must heat stress. These include either a mandatory buddyensure that each employee is trained and system or observation by a supervisor or heat safetyunderstands heat stress hazards; heat related coordinator (with no more than twenty employeesinjuries and illnesses; and the risk factors observed per supervisor). For employees who are alonefor heat related injuries or illnessesat a worksite, you must maintain a means of effective, two-way communication with those employees. Prior to the work shift, or when you determine the high heat trigger has been met or exceeded, you must notify employees of the importance of drinking plenty of water; their right to, at their election, take rest breaks if needed (as well as or in addition to the rest breaks required by the standard); and how to seek help in the event of a heat emergency. Again, for mobile work sites, you must advise employees of the location of breakaddition to the activities noted for a heat related illness.areas available to them at each new site. Your initial training for employees must ensure Finally, in excessively high heat areas wherethat each employee is trained and understands heat the ambient temperatures regularly exceed 120F,stress hazards; heat related injuries and illnesses; and all warning signs must be legible, visible, andthe risk factors for heat related injuries or illnesses, understandable to all employees entering those areas. including the contributions of physical exertion,In addition to the preceding, you must developclothing, personal protective equipment, lack of and implement a heat emergency response plan in youracclimatization and personal risk factors such as age, HIIPP. That plan must include a list of emergency phonehealth, alcohol consumption, and the use of certain numbers; a description of how employees can contact amedications. They must also understand the signs supervisor and emergency medical services; individualsand symptoms of heat related illness; the importance designated to ensure that heat emergency proceduresof removing PPE that may impair cooling during rest are invoked when appropriate; and a description of howbreaks; the importance of taking rest breaks to prevent to transport employees to a place where they can beheat related injuries; the importance of drinking water reached by an emergency medical provider. You mustto prevent heat related illness or injury; the location of also include clear and precise directions to the work sitebreak areas; the location of employer-provided water; and procedures for responding to an employee who isthe importance of employees reporting any signs or experiencing signs and symptoms of heat related illness.symptoms of heat related illness in those they observe If an employee is experiencing signs and symptoms of aand their co-workers; all policies and procedures that heat related illness you must relieve him/her from duty;are applicable to their duties; the identity of the heat monitor him/her; ensure they are not left alone; offersafety coordinators on site; the requirements of the them on-site first-aid or medical services before endingOSHA standard; and how they can access the worksites monitoring; and provide them with a means to reduceHIIPP. They must also be advised that they have a right their body temperature. If employees are experiencingto the protections required by the OSHA standard continued on page: 28 FRAME BUILDER - VOL4 6 / 27'