Inspectors will check if workers have access to 'adequate' heat relief
State inspectors announced they will check job sites to ensure measures are in place to protect workers from the heat on Monday, the same day that Phoenix matched the record for consecutive days at or above 110 degrees.
Inspectors will check whether employers are planning around “heat-related hazards that are likely to cause death or serious harm,” according to Trevor Laky, spokesman with the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health.
Employers should ensure workers have “adequate” access to things like water, shade and rest.
But there’s no single standard to determine what counts as “adequate,” and what measures against the heat look like also depends on the job.
Laky said that means employers will need to create and use a written heat-stress program to address unique challenges, like getting roofers in the shade.
