Outdoor Heat Exposure (OHE, Heat Stress)
Working outdoors in hot weather can result in serious illness or even death. Workers exposed to extreme heat may experience symptoms of heat-related illnesses (HRI), such as heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, fainting, heat stroke and other symptoms.
Heat-related illness is also linked to injuries from falls, equipment operation accidents and other on-the-job incidents. Such incidents can happen when someone with heat stress becomes fatigued, dizzy, confused or disoriented.
Employers must provide training to workers so they understand what heat stress is, how it affects their health and safety, and how it can be prevented. The Outdoor Heat Exposure Rule WAC 296-62-095 applies from May 1 through September 30, every year, when exposures are at or above a specific temperature (listed in Table 1 of the rule).
General Rules
- Outdoor Heat Exposure (Heat Stress), WAC 296-62-095.
Rules for Specific Workplaces
- Agriculture: Outdoor Heat Exposure, WAC 296-307-097.
- Wildland Fire Fighters: First-aid for wildland fire fighters, WAC 296-305-07017.
- Emergency Response: Control hazards created by PPE, WAC 296-824-60015.
Policies
Outdoor Heat Exposure Enforcement Procedures, DOSH Directive 10.15.
Fatalities and Hazard Alerts
- Fatal Hazard: Hot-weather work can kill.
- Farm Laborer Dies from Heat Stroke.
- Laborer Dies from Heat Stroke.
- Construction Laborer Dies from Heat Stroke at End of Workday (KY FACE Report).
- Construction Worker Dies from Heat Stroke (MN FACE Report).
- MMWR: Heat-Related Deaths among Crop Workers, 1992-2006 (CDC).
Training Materials
- Agriculture: Tailgate Safety Training: Heat Stress (47 KB PDF) / Módulo de Entrenamiento: Estrés por Calor (Spanish Version) (49 KB PDF) (from Ohio State University).
- Construction: Heat Training Guide (CPWR/elCOSH).
- First Aid for General Industry — PowerPoint Presentation.
- Health effects of heat (1.8 MB PDF / 5 min.) / Los efectos del calor (Spanish version) (2.2 MB PDF / 6 min.) — OSHA Safety Poster.
- Heat illness can be prevented! (1.4 MB PDF / 4 min.) / ¡Se pueden prevenir las enfermedades por calor! (Spanish version) (800 KB PDF) — OSHA Fact Sheet.
- Heat Illness Prevention Training Guide (7.8 MB PDF / 22 min.) / Guía de Entrenamiento sobre Prevención de Enfermedades a causa del Calor (Spanish version) (9.7 MB PDF / 28 min.) — OSHA Training Guide.
- Heat Illness Training Kit — PowerPoint Presentation.
- Heat-related Illness Education Card (Safety tips in English/Spanish, folds to pocket size).
- Stopping for Water Keeps You Going (2.75 MB PDF / 7 min.) / Con Agua Uno Rinde Más (Spanish version) (1.3 MB PDF / 4 min.) — OSHA Safety Poster.
DVDs and Videos
- Heat: A Dangerous Combination (Also available online and downloadable).
- Heat Stress: Don't Lose Your Cool.
- Working Safely in Hot Environments.
- Heat Stress Prevention.
- Heat Stress Topic Search.
Other Resources
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Important:
"Links" to other information sources are provided as a courtesy, but we cannot vouch for or take responsibility for information contained beyond files administered by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Links from this page do not represent or imply the endorsement of commercial products by the State of Washington, Labor and Industries, or by departmental staff. For more information, read L&I's Intended Usage policy.
Accident Prevention Plan for Outdoor Heat Exposure (Example Addendum).- Appendix 1: Pertinent Rules for Heat-Related Illness (indoor and outdoor exposure).
- Hazards to Outdoor Workers (NIOSH topic page).
- Heat Safety Tool (OSHA mobile tool optimized for Android, Blackberry and iPhone).
- Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer (NOAA).
- Outdoor Heat Exposure Frequently Asked Questions.
- Outdoor Heat Illness (OSHA).
- Protecting Workers from Effects of Heat (22 KB/PDF) (OSHA Fact Sheet).
- SHARP Investigates Heat-related Illness in Washington State's Workers.
- Safety and Health Topic: Heat Stress, (OSHA).
- What You Need To Know About™ Moles (National Cancer Institute).
- What You Need To Know About™ Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute).
Working Outdoors in Warm Climates (OSHA Fact Sheet).- Workplace Safety and Health Topic: Heat Stress, (NIOSH).
- Working in Hot Environments (Centers for Disease Control, CDC).
- Wildland Fire Safety — Heat Stress (USDA).
- Extreme Hot or Cold Temperature Conditions (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety).
- Roadway Safety: Working outdoors (Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health (elcosh)).
