SafeLane | Training & Prevention | EHS: Heat Illness Prevention Plan

Core Protections (Triggers at 80°F)

When the localized heat index hits 80°F, the following foundational safeguards must be fully available to field staff:

• Hydration: Free access to cool, clean drinking water. Facilities employees are provided with 32 oz insulated water bottles to refill regularly at campus bottle-filling stations. Avoid energy drinks and caffeine, which accelerate dehydration.
• Shade & Rest: Guaranteed, unimpeded access to shaded areas (natural canopies/artificial structures) or climate-controlled indoor spaces for relief breaks. Most campus buildings are within a short walking distance of outdoor worksites.
• Acclimatization: Implementation of specialized scheduling to safely introduce or re-introduce employees to hot environments.

Acclimatization Schedules

Supervisors must track and log exposure and adjustments for the first 14 days of a new hire's or returning employee's seasonal outdoor exposure:

• Standard Schedule (New Hires/Temporary Workers):
  • Day 1: 20% of normal workload capacity.
  • Days 2–5: Increase workload progressively by 20% each day until 100% capacity is reached on Day 5.
• Heat Wave Schedule (Experienced Workers during sudden weather spikes):
  • Day 1: 50% workload.
  • Day 2: 60% workload.
  • Day 3: 80% workload.
  • Day 4: 100% workload.
• Prolonged Absence: Employees returning from vacation, extended sick leave, or medical leave must follow acclimatization pathways to re-adjust safely.

High Heat Mandates (Triggers at 90°F)

Once the heat index crosses 90°F, stringent operational field controls are activated.

1. Mandatory Rest Break Schedules

These rest durations are legal minimums and must be taken in designated cooling/shaded zones. Work blocks must be adjusted accordingly:

• 90°F or greater: Minimum of 10 minutes of rest every 2 hours.
• 95°F or greater: Minimum of 20 minutes of rest every hour.
• 100°F or greater: Minimum of 30 minutes of rest every hour.
• 105°F or greater: Minimum of 40 minutes of rest every hour.

2. The Buddy System

Every single active outdoor employee must be paired with a buddy—there are zero exceptions. Heat impairs cognitive judgment, making self-diagnosis difficult.

• How Pairs are Assigned: If you are already assigned to work alongside a coworker, they are automatically your safety buddy. If you work independently or are alone, you must contact your manager before starting outdoor tasks to have a buddy formally assigned.
• Field Checks: Office staff will conduct mandatory hourly radio or text-message roll calls and check-ins for all field staff once temperatures reach or exceed 90°F.

Medical Reference: Spotting and Responding to Heat Stress

Tier 1: Early Warning Signs ("Pre-Exhaustion")

Catching symptoms at this stage prevents severe medical incidents. Watch your buddy for:

• Heat Cramps: Involuntary and painful muscle spasms, usually in the calves, thighs, arms, or abdomen.
• Behavioral Shifts: Sudden irritability, fatigue, loss of focus, clumsiness, or unusual mistakes.
• Physical Sensations: Dull headache, mild lightheadedness, or extreme thirst.
• Action Required: Stop work immediately. Move them to a cool, shaded area. Have them slowly sip cool water and notify your manager.

Tier 2: Heat Exhaustion

• Symptoms: Body temperature between 101°F and 104°F, pale skin, muscle cramps, dizziness, rapid breathing, accelerated heart rate, weakness, fatigue, nausea, or vomiting.
• Immediate Action Required: 
  1. Move the employee to a cool, shaded, or air-conditioned space immediately. 
  2. Loosen tight clothing and remove heavy safety vests or gear.
  3. Apply cool, wet cloths to the skin, mist with water, or place under a fan.
  4. Have them slowly sip cool water (do not let them gulp it down).
  5. 🚨 Escalation Trigger: If the employee begins vomiting, symptoms worsen, or signs last longer than one hour despite cooling efforts, seek professional emergency medical care immediately.

Tier 3: Heat Stroke (Severe Medical Emergency)

• Symptoms: Body temperature above 104°F, dry or red skin, inability to sweat, slurred speech, confusion, aggression, agitation, hallucinations, altered mental state, seizures, dizziness, or fainting.
• Immediate Life-Saving Actions Required:
  1. 📞 Call LCC Public Safety immediately at (541) 463-5555 (ext. 5555) or dial 911 instantly.
  2. Move the person to a cool, shaded area.
  3. Cool them rapidly by wetting their skin, fanning them vigorously, or applying ice packs/cold packs directly to the neck, armpits, and groin.
  4. ❌ CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING: Do NOT give an individual experiencing heat stroke anything to drink. If they are disoriented, confused, or unconscious, forcing fluids presents a severe choking and aspiration hazard.

Worker & Supervisor Checklists

Supervisors and employees must utilize the free OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App on their smartphones to track real-time heat indices, hour-by-hour temperature forecasts, and safety precautions.

Before Every Shift:

1. Check the local heat index and forecast via the OSHA-NIOSH App.
2. Check the local AQI via AirNow.gov.
3. Verify that cool drinking water and shaded rest zones are readily accessible.
4. Pair all active outdoor employees into Buddy System teams if temperatures project to hit 90°F+.
5. Log acclimatization protocols for any employee within their first 14 days of seasonal exposure.

Employee Safety Mandate: Completion of the annual, combined EHS Wildfire Smoke & Heat Training module in Vector serves as official confirmation of your understanding of these integrated safety protocols. Every employee maintains the explicit authority and obligation to Stop Work and report hazardous environmental conditions to their supervisor immediately. Never attempt to "tough it out".