In an unprecedented decision, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board recently ruled in favor of Cal/OSHA’s 2012 citations against two employers because their Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (IIPP) failed to effectively address the hazard of indoor heat. Keep reading to learn what the decision means for California employers.
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The case stemmed from the January 2012 serious citations Cal/OSHA issued to a temporary staffing agency and a warehouse operator for the heat illness suffered by an employee working in the warehouse.
On August 30, 2011, an employee of the temporary staffing agency who had been hired to work in the warehouse suffered heat illness while working inside a metal freight container with a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He reported his illness to his temp agency supervisor, who arranged for him to be transported to a local clinic by another employee who had also reported heat illness that day.