Heat Illness Prevention

In California, employers must take steps to protect outdoor workers from heat illness with water, rest, shade and training. Heat illness prevention training is required for all outdoor workers and a written prevention plan must be available at all outdoor worksites.

Cal/OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention regulation applies to all outdoor places of employment such as those in the agriculture, construction, and landscaping industries.

A heat illness prevention regulation for indoor places of employment is currently being developed.

Your employer must provide water, shade, rest.

California employers are required to take these four steps to prevent heat illness:

  1. Training
    Train all employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention.
  2. Water
    Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, or four 8 ounce glasses, of water per hour, and encourage them to do so.
  3. Shade
    Provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least 5 minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
  4. Planning
    Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.
Heat Illness Prevention - Water. Rest. Shade.

The HIP Network is a voluntary public/private partnership established to increase both employers' and employees' awareness of the hazard of heat illness and the importance of heat illness prevention measures to prevent fatalities and serious illnesses in California workplaces.

HIP Network members work together to help prevent heat illness in workplaces throughout California in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) by providing timely and essential information to employers and employees.

To join the HIP Network, email HIPNetwork@dir.ca.gov.

Heat Illness Prevention Training – for Employers with Outdoor Workers

Class Date/Time Location Language Register
Protecting Your Employees from Heat Illness and Wildfire Smoke Tuesday,
May 23, 2023
9:00 am - 11:00 am 		Employment Development Department
2901 N. Ventura Road,
Oxnard, 93036 		English REGISTRATION LINK
Protecting Your Employees from Heat Illness and Wildfire Smoke Tuesday,
May 23, 2023
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm 		Employment Development Department
2901 N. Ventura Road,
Oxnard, 93036 		Spanish REGISTRATION LINK

Education, Training Resources and Publications

Webinars

For Employers:

*Not an accessible version.

For Workers:

More CAL/OSHA Resources:

  • 99 Calor campaign page
    Contains materials available for download including Heat Illness Prevention videos and discussion guides in multiple languages.
    • Videos and guides available in English, Spanish, Punjabi, Hmong and Mixteco

Outreach and Education Campaign

Heat Illness Prevention Standard

Read the Heat Illness Prevention standard found in the California Code of Regulations, title 8:

Additional Heat Illness Links

May 2023