Cal/OSHA Warns Employers to Address Southern California Heat
Workplace safety regulators urge companies to provide water and rest breaks as temperatures climb toward 100 degrees.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Jul 08, 2026
State safety officials are reminding employers to protect both indoor and outdoor personnel from heat-related illnesses as a major warming trend settles over the region.
The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for multiple counties across Southern California, including Los Angeles, Ventura and San Luis Obispo. Forecasters expect daytime temperatures to hover between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with the most intense heat concentrated during afternoon hours.
Under regulations enforced by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, employers bear a legal obligation to protect their workforce from heat hazards. The state maintains distinct safety mandates depending on whether employees labor indoors or outdoors, though companies with mixed work environments must comply with both standards.
For indoor facilities such as warehouses, restaurants and manufacturing plants, safety interventions trigger once indoor ambient temperatures reach 82 degrees. At this threshold, management must provide clean drinking water, access to designated cool-down areas and mandatory employee training.
Outdoor work environments carry separate legal requirements. Companies must supply fresh water and establish shaded rest areas whenever temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Furthermore, workers may request cool-down breaks at any time.
Additional high-heat protocols take effect at outdoor sites when temperatures hit or exceed 95 degrees. These stricter rules target specific high-risk industries, including agriculture, construction, landscaping, oil and gas extraction and heavy transport. In these sectors, supervisors must implement regular employee observation protocols and maintain reliable communication lines to monitor for signs of physical distress.
Regardless of the setting, all covered employers must document these safety procedures within a written heat illness prevention plan. This plan must outline specific emergency response steps and include comprehensive training to help supervisors and staff identify early symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.