California Heat Illness Prevention Plan — Outdoor Workplaces (T8CCR §3395)
Required for every California employer with outdoor work. Covers the water-shade-rest-acclimatisation requirements at 80°F and the high-heat (95°F+) additional measures.
When this template is required
Required of every California employer with outdoor places of employment. Enforced aggressively May through October. Heat triggers begin at 80°F (with additional measures at 95°F).
Why this template
Aggressive enforcement May-October
Cal/OSHA runs targeted heat-illness enforcement campaigns each summer. Having the plan in place avoids the most-common heat-related citation.
Covers 80°F + 95°F two-tier triggers
T8CCR §3395 has different requirements at 80°F (baseline) vs. 95°F (high-heat). The template covers both, with the high-heat additional measures clearly delineated.
Acclimatisation procedure included
T8CCR §3395(g) requires acclimatisation for new employees and during heat waves. The template includes the procedure and tracking form.
Bilingual employee communication
Many heat-exposed workforces include Spanish-speaking employees. The template includes English/Spanish notifications and the symptom-recognition wallet card.
What you receive
- Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention Plan (Word .docx)
- Water, shade, rest provision procedures
- Acclimatisation procedure for new employees
- High-heat (95°F+) procedure with cooled drinking water, observation, communication
- Emergency response procedure (heat illness recognition + medical response)
- Employee training outline
- Heat illness symptom recognition wallet card (printable)
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) employee notification
- Annual training and plan review log
How you get it
This document is written and reviewed against the standard it cites, and it is ready now. The download link is emailed as soon as your payment clears.
Revisions included — if something about your operation changes what the document should say, reply to the delivery email and we will amend it.
Who buys this
- Construction (any outdoor work)
- Landscaping and tree care
- Agriculture and ranching
- Roadwork, paving, utility work
- Delivery and field service
- Any CA employer with employees working outside ≥1 hour/day
Frequently asked
When does the California heat illness standard apply?
T8CCR §3395 applies to every California employer with outdoor places of employment. There's no industry exemption. Workers exposed to outdoor heat for any portion of their workday trigger the requirement — even if they're outdoor only intermittently.
What are the 80°F vs. 95°F requirements?
At 80°F+: provide drinking water (1 quart per employee per hour); provide shade when employees are on-shift; allow paid recovery periods of at least 5 minutes when employees request; train employees on heat illness; have an emergency response procedure. At 95°F+: additional 'high-heat' procedures — observation procedures, pre-shift meetings, designated person to call emergency services, and communication systems.
What's acclimatisation?
T8CCR §3395(g) requires that new employees, and employees returning after extended absence, be 'closely observed' for symptoms during their first 14 days of work in heat. During heat waves, all employees are subject to additional observation. The plan includes the acclimatisation procedure.
Does this cover the indoor heat standard?
No — this is the outdoor plan. California adopted a separate indoor heat illness standard (T8CCR §3396) effective 2024 for workplaces ≥82°F indoor. See our separate California Heat Illness Prevention Plan — Indoor product.
Does Oregon also have a heat illness mandate?
Yes — Oregon OAR 437-002-0156. Our Oregon Heat Illness Prevention Plan is a separate SKU. The Wave 2 catalog.