Did you know that those who work indoors could also face some of the same heat illness hazards as outdoor workers? The temperature inside warehouses, factories, and boiler rooms can often exceed 80 degrees, which is the temperature Cal/OSHA’s heat illness standards start to come into effect. While high temperatures are more common in these locations, if you are in an office where the air conditioning has gone out on a hot day, temperatures can quickly climb into the 80’s.
In an office setting, like the one described above, you may only have a few options to handle the high heat. You can relocate your employees to a cooler part of the building, you can give them the option to work from home, or you can simply let them go home early.
In workplaces where high temperatures are common, you’ll want to find more permanent solutions to deal with excessive heat. The first step is to identify heat hazards, including:
- High air temperatures (80 degrees or above)
- High level of humidity (60 percent or higher)
- Poor air movement
- Radiant heat sources (like ovens, furnaces)
- Physical labor
- Not enough cool drinking water
- Heavy personal protective equipment (PPE)
