Heat Illness Prevention Plan

All LCC employees are responsible for helping to ensure their own safety and the safety of other employees while working in hot weather. This plan was created pursuant to the Oregon OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard which applies whenever an employee performs work activities where the heat index equals or exceeds 80oF. Incidental heat exposures where an employee is not required to perform work activities for more than 15 minutes in any sixty-minute period are exempt from this standard. Employees may exercise their rights pertaining to Oregon OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Standard without fear of retaliation.

Training

Employees required to complete the training are those who may work for longer than 15 minutes per hour in areas where the heat index equals or exceeds 80°F. The following training is to be done annually in May. 

1. Watch the LCC Excessive Heat Policy Training Video on Vector Solutions and pass the test at the end of the video. Department managers or another responsible administrator will assign this training to employees and employees will receive and email link to the training.
2. Read this plan.
3. Print out this plan, sign it, and give it to your manager or designee for the OSHA compliance files.

Recognizing the symptoms of dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• Extreme thirst
• Less frequent urination
• Dark-colored urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness, weakness, light-headedness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Headache
• Flushed (red) skin. Swollen feet. Muscle cramps.
• Heat intolerance or chills.

Responding to suspected heat-related illnesses in others

• Contact help:
  • If on main campus, call Public Safety at 541-463-5555
  • If on remote campus, call 911.
• Stay with employee until they are checked and cleared.
• Move employee to a shaded, cool area and remove outer clothing.
• Have employee sit or lie down and drink water.
• Cool employee by wetting skin and/or placing cold wet cloths on head or neck.
• Fan area around employee to speed cooling.

Drinking Water

When the heat index equals or exceeds 80°F, employees should drink plenty of water using the LCC drinking fountains, bottle filling stations, or break room sinks. It is the employees’ responsibility to stay appropriately hydrated throughout the day.

Where to rest and take heat-affected employees

OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Rule requires employers to provide a shaded or conditioned indoor area for breaks when the heat index is at or above 80°F. The vast majority of LCC exterior work spaces are near a conditioned building. Breaks may be taken in the public areas of any conditioned building, or in any of the many exterior shaded areas. 

Heat-affected employees should be taken to these same indoor conditioned or outdoor shaded spaces.

Communication schedule for when heat index reaches 90°F or greater

All employees working outside when the heat index reaches 90°F or greater, shall carry a radio or cell phone. Office staff for the applicable department shall confirm safety of employees working outside once per hour by doing a role call over the radio, text or phone call. This also applies to employees working in a building when the heat index reaches 90°F or greater in the building.

Rest break schedule for when heat index reaches 90°F or greater

Acclimatization plan

Lane’s heat acclimatization program promotes work at a steady moderate rate that can be sustained in the heat. 

• New workers and those returning from a prolonged absence should begin with 20% of the workload on the first day, increasing incrementally by no more than 20% each subsequent day. During a rapid change leading to excessively hot weather or conditions such as a heat wave, even experienced workers should begin on the first day of work in excessive heat with 50% of the normal workload and time spent in the hot environment, 60% on the second day, 80% on day three, and 100% on the fourth day. Full acclimatization may take up to 14 days or longer depending on factors relating to the individual, such as increased risk of heat illness due to certain medications or medical conditions, or the environment.
• Acclimatization can occur naturally for outdoor workers in a hot climate as the weather changes. However, implementing acclimatization activities is essential for new workers, workers who have been out sick or on vacation, and all workers during a heat wave. It is important to be extra-careful with these workers and recognize immediately the symptoms of possible heat-related illness.

For Facilities Employees Only:

Drinking Water

When the heat index equals or exceeds 80°F, Facilities employees should drink plenty of water using the LCC-provided insulated water bottle or by stopping into a building to use a drinking fountain.

Employer’s responsibility:

• Provide Facilities employees with an insulated 32 ounce water bottle that employees can fill up at break room sinks and bottle filling stations.

It is the Facilities employees’ responsibility to: 

• Fill up this water bottle at a break room sink or bottle filling station.
• Stay appropriately hydrated throughout the day.
• Clean the water bottle.

By signing below, I certify that I have completed the training video, passed the test, and read this plan.

Employee name: _______________________________________________

Employee signature: _____________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________________________

Documentation

Managers are responsible for verifying that applicable employees complete the training that is described in this procedure. Managers must ensure documentation of training completion by filing this signed procedure and verifying completion of the Vector Solutions training for each employee.

For further information here is a link to the Oregon OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.