California Heat Illness Prevention Plan Requirements
California requires employers with outdoor workers to maintain effective written heat illness prevention procedures under 8 CCR 3395. Water has NO temperature trigger: fresh, pure, suitably cool drinking water must be provided free of charge whenever employees are working, at any temperature, in a quantity allowing one quart per employee per hour. The 80 degree figure belongs to shade, which must be present when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees F and, at or below that, provided on request. Cool-down rests are at least five minutes in addition to the time needed to reach the shade, with the employee monitored and asked about symptoms. Acclimatization means close observation of newly assigned employees for their first 14 days and all employees during heat waves. High-heat procedures start when the temperature equals or exceeds 95 degrees F, and construction is a covered industry. Emergency response is triggered by any sign or symptom, not by a measured body temperature. Indoor workplaces are covered separately by 8 CCR 3396 starting at 82 degrees F.
The numbers Cal/OSHA checks
- ✓ Shade up at 80 degrees F outdoors, available on request below that
- ✓ Water: one quart per employee per hour for the full shift, cool and close to the work
- ✓ Cool-down rest: at least 5 minutes in shade whenever a worker asks or shows signs
- ✓ High-heat procedures at 95 degrees F: effective communication, monitoring of up to 20 workers per observer or a buddy system, and pre-shift meetings
- ✓ Acclimatization: close observation of new hires for 14 days and everyone during a heat wave
- ✓ Indoor work: 8 CCR 3396 applies at 82 degrees F, with engineering and administrative controls assessed at 87 degrees F
What inspectors ask for
Cal/OSHA heat inspections are routine on California job sites every summer, and the first request is the written procedures. The second is proof your crew was trained on them. A plan with another state’s numbers, or a plan the foreman has never seen, fails both. Roofing, landscaping, and concrete crews are the most inspected trades.
Generate your California plan
TailgateDocs writes your company’s heat illness prevention plan to 8 CCR 3395 and, when your crews work indoors too, 8 CCR 3396, for $49. Citations are validated against a verified regulations table, delivery takes minutes, and the Spanish version for your crew is $19 more. California employers also need a written IIPP and a workplace violence prevention plan; the thanks page will offer them with your answers already filled in.
Common questions
▸At what temperature does the California heat rule apply?
The outdoor standard applies to all outdoor work regardless of temperature (water, training, emergency procedures), with shade mandatory above 80 degrees F and high-heat procedures at 95 degrees F. The indoor standard applies at 82 degrees F.
▸Does 8 CCR 3395 apply to construction?
Yes. Construction is also one of the industries subject to the 95 degree high-heat procedures, alongside agriculture, landscaping, oil and gas, and certain transportation work.
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