University units with personnel who work outdoors are required to implement safety measures to help prevent heat-related illness, including providing initial and annual training, and implementing a written Outdoor Heat Safety Plan.
Guidance for indoor heat and thermal comfort issues can be found on the Indoor Air Quality page.
Applicability
Washington state outdoor heat exposure rules apply to University units and departments with personnel who are
- Performing work outdoors for more than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period;
- When personnel are exposed to outdoor heat at or above the temperature and conditions listed in the table below.
Table 1: Outdoor temperature action levels
|
TYPE OF CLOTHING WORN |
ACTION REQUIRED AT OR ABOVE THIS TEMPERATURE |
| Non-breathable clothes, including vapor barrier clothing or PPE such as chemical resistant suits | 52 degrees F |
| All other clothing | 80 degrees F |
The action temperatures apply only if personnel are required to perform a work activity outdoors for more than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period. The rules apply to every hour during the work shift.
Responsibilities
To ensure personnel safety and compliance with the Washington state rules (WAC 296-62-095 Outdoor Heat Exposure), units are required to:
- Ensure personnel who work outdoors and their supervisors complete the EH&S Outdoor Heat Safety training course initially and annually.
- Develop and implement an Outdoor Heat Safety Plan by completing the EH&S template, which includes requirements for providing drinking water, shade, cool-down and rest periods, heat stress monitoring, and response procedures if personnel show signs or symptoms of heat-related illness.
- Review the Outdoor Heat Safety Plan with your personnel initially (upon hire or prior to starting work outdoors) and annually.
- Complete the EH&S Outdoor Heat Safety training course initially (upon hire or prior to starting work outdoors) and annually.
- Follow the University and unit requirements for preventing heat-related illness.
- Drink adequate amounts of suitably cool water (up to one quart/hour).
- Request breaks when needed.
- When temperatures are at or above 90° Fahrenheit (F) take preventive cool-down rest breaks of at least 10 minutes every 2 hours.
- When temperatures are at or above 100°F take preventive cool-down rest breaks of at least 15 minutes every hour.
- Recognize and monitor yourself for symptoms of heat-related illness and know your personal risk factors for heat-related illness, which may include obesity, diabetes, heart disease among others.
- Develop and oversee the personnel safety and compliance requirements.
- Provide Outdoor Heat Safety training and update as needed.
- Provide a template Heat Safety Plan and update as needed.
- Provide technical assistance to units and departments.
- Incident response, tracking, and prevention
- Serve as the University representative and liaison to Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) for all campus locations.
Outdoor Heat Safety Plan
University units and departments with personnel who work outdoors for more than 15 minutes during any 60-minute period are required to complete the Outdoor Heat Safety Plan Template to customize the plan as a component of their Supplemental Accident Prevention Plan to meet the requirements in Washington Administrative Code, WAC 296-62-095 through 09560 enforced by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).
Supervisors are required to complete this plan and review it with personnel initially, annually, and when updates are needed. Evaluate and consider the specific conditions (i.e., temperature and type of clothing worn) during your outdoor worksite activities to successfully tailor this plan and procedures.
Training
The Outdoor Heat Safety Training course is required for University personnel who are assigned outdoor work activities as well as supervisors of employees assigned outdoor work activities.
Complete the Outdoor Heat Safety Training course prior to outdoor work in temperatures exceeding those listed in Table 1 (above). Retraining is required annually.
Incident reporting
UW personnel are required to submit an incident report to Environmental Health & Safety for any work-related event that results in an injury, illness, exposure to hazardous materials, or fire, regardless of the work location. UW personnel are highly encouraged to submit work-related near-miss events. Visit the Incident Reporting page for more information.
Services available
Contact Environmental Health & Safety at airquality@uw.edu or (206) 543-7388 for consultation and assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Visit the Washington State L&I website to read frequently asked questions.
Excessive exposure to heat can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, from less serious heat rash and heat cramps to more serious heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention because it can result in serious health effects or death, so take precautions while working in the summer heat.
Certain factors, including personal health conditions, activities being conducted, and weather can increase the risk of a heat-related illness.
Heat exhaustion can also make workers more susceptible to falls, equipment-related injuries, and other on-the-job safety hazards.
Supervisors and workers should become familiar with signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat rash and rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown).
When any of these are present, promptly provide first aid. Do not try to diagnose which illness is occurring. These conditions can worsen quickly and result in fatalities. When in doubt, cool the worker and call 9-1-1.
Definitions
A system where individuals are paired or teamed up into work groups so each employee can be observed by at least one other member of the group to monitor and report signs and symptoms of heat-related illness
The use of devices to reduce exposure and aid cooling (e.g., air conditioning or fans)
Working conditions that increase susceptibility for heat-related illness such as air temperature, relative humidity, radiant heat from the sun and other sources, conductive heat sources such as the ground, air movement, workload (i.e., light, moderate or heavy) and duration, and personal protective equipment worn by employees; measurement of environmental factors is not required by WAC 296-62-095.