The California Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of businesses have submitted comments to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) on proposed regulatory changes to California’s unique heat illness prevention regulations.
The group, known as the Heat Illness Prevention Coalition and comprised of nearly 100 organizations, is concerned that the proposal will hurt employers while not creating safer outdoor workplaces in California.
In general, the coalition is concerned that the proposed changes are unnecessary, overly burdensome and would be disruptive to employers already complying with the current requirements.
Latest Coalition Letter
In the January 5 letter, the coalition thanks the division for acknowledging the compliance challenges posed by provisions in the original proposed revised regulation and the first round of proposed modifications and for making further changes in response to comments.
The revisions have provided additional clarity and addressed more of the coalition’s concerns. Although the coalition appreciates the further revisions, it remains concerned about and opposed to numerous new revisions. Specifically, the sections on access to shade and how compliance will be determined require further clarification and guidance for employers.
Should the newly revised regulation be adopted by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board and become law, the coalition would urge the division to conduct collaborative and public meetings to develop compliance guidance for employers. Various provisions in the proposal require clarification to enable employers to understand their compliance obligations.
Next Steps
The coalition expects that the latest revised rule will be considered by the board for adoption in the first quarter of this year.
Staff Contact: Marti Fisher
