Washington Outdoor Heat Exposure Plan Requirements
Washington’s outdoor heat rule, WAC 296-62-095, applies year-round whenever employees work outdoors at or above the action levels: 80 degrees F for most clothing, or 52 degrees F when workers wear non-breathable clothing. Employers must include written outdoor heat exposure procedures in their accident prevention program and provide suitably cool drinking water (at least one quart per employee per hour), access to shade or other cooling, mandatory paid cool-down rest of at least 10 minutes every 2 hours at 90 degrees F and 15 minutes every hour at 100 degrees F, close observation of new and returning workers during their first 14 days, and annual training.
What changed in the 2023 update
- ✓ Applies year-round, not just May through September
- ✓ Action level dropped to 80 degrees F for most clothing (52 degrees F non-breathable)
- ✓ Shade or equivalent cooling must be close enough to the work to be usable
- ✓ Mandatory preventative cool-down rest periods: 10 minutes per 2 hours at 90 degrees F, 15 minutes per hour at 100 degrees F, on paid time
- ✓ Acclimatization: close observation of employees new to heat, or returning after 14 or more days away, for their first 14 days
The written piece L&I checks
Washington ties the heat requirements into your accident prevention program: the outdoor heat exposure procedures must be written, specific to your work, and trained on before employees are exposed. Roofing crews on dark membranes and flaggers in traffic vests routinely cross the action levels well before the forecast says so.
Generate your Washington plan
TailgateDocs writes your written outdoor heat exposure procedures to WAC 296-62-095 for $49: water, shade, the exact cool-down rest schedule, acclimatization, emergency response, and training, with citations validated against a verified regulations table.
Common questions
▸Why is there a 52 degree action level?
It covers workers in non-breathable clothing such as rain gear and chemical-protective suits, which trap body heat at much lower air temperatures. Crews in PVC rain gear can hit heat stress on a 55 degree wet day.
▸Are the cool-down rest periods paid?
Yes. Preventative cool-down rest periods count as hours worked and must be paid.
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