Cal/OSHA, the State of California’s occupational safety department, issued on Dec. 12 the first citation in more than five years for a willful heat safety violation.
The citation comes amid heightened concern of rising temperatures due to climate change, which will endanger the safety and health of workers. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade, and workers will face the initial brunt with more heat-related injuries, illnesses and death, per the International Labour Organization.
Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said, “Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from the dangers of extreme heat. It is unacceptable for any business to blatantly ignore safety protocols, putting their employees at serious risk. This enforcement action underscores our commitment to holding employers accountable and ensuring safe workplaces across California.”
The citation came after Cal/OSHA received an initial complaint about employees working outside without access to water or heat illness training. Cal/OSHA opened an investigation on June 6, 2024, in which it found no safety precautions or a heat plan in place. The business had received a violation for similar reasons in 2022, after which Cal/OSHA provided a model heat illness prevention procedures.
Cal/OSHA fined the business $276,425. La Isla Network contacted Cal/OSHA for further, but did not respond by the time this story went to press.
La Isla Network is an occupational health research and advisory nonprofit dedicated to ending heat-related illnesses among workers and their communities worldwide. We develop and implement data-driven worker protection and management assessment protocols to improve the resiliency of workforces and businesses to heat stress. Our work is backed by best-in-class researchers, industry leaders and government and multilateral institutions like the ILO. For more information please use our contact form.
