SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Californians working indoors are getting immediate protections from extreme heat as much of the state bakes in triple-digit temperatures this week. California has had heat standards on the books for outdoor workers , but the state announced Wednesday that a set of rules for indoor workers had been finalized following an expedited review.
The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved the regulation last month, but it needed to be vetted for legal compliance. “This regulation provides protections for workers across California and helps prepare employers to deal with the challenges of rising temperatures in indoor environments,” said Debra Lee, chief of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Weekly Edition.
California is among a responding to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme heat with worker safety standards. Earlier this month, the Biden administration to protect indoor and outdoor workers from heat exposure as extreme heat, already the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.
S., becomes even more dangerous. California’s indoor workplaces to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and below 82 degrees in places where workers wear protective clothing or are exposed to radiant heat, such as furnaces.
Worksites that don’t have air conditioning may use fans, misters, and other methods to bring the room temperature down. The rules allo.