Staying Safe When It's Super-Hot Outside or Indoors

This is a Union Member Safety & Health Message from IATSE Local 44

Staying Safe When It’s Super-Hot Outdoors or Indoors

  1. Take care of yourself.  Hydrate, drink water (not soft drinks or coffee). Use sunscreen. Get in the shade and rest.  Shaded rest should last five minutes.
     
  2. According to Cal-OSHA, your employer is required to provide Water, Shade and Rest.  [See excerpt from State of California website below]       According to California Code the water is required to be “fresh, pure, suitably cool, and provided to employees free of charge”. The employer is to provide “at least 1 quart per hour, or four 8 ounce glasses, of water per hour” for each worker. The employer is to encourage the workers to drink water.  Link …. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/heatIllnessQA.html
     
  3. Link to the official Industry Safety Bulletin for working in Hot Conditions …. https://csatf.org/pdf/35HOT_TEMPS.pdf
     
  4. Ask your Foreman or Lead Man to have an IATSE Medic on set or on location to take care of the working crew.  If your crew is working with power tools or any kind of lifts or ladders, and there’s no IATSE Medic at your location, call IATSE Local 80 at 818-526-0700. Local 80 represents Set Medics (in addition to Grips and Crafts Service.) Let Local 80 know that your production has failed to staff a Set Medic at your workplace.
     
  5. If you’re indoors, ask Production to turn on the Air Conditioning for all crew members, whether they’re working on-production or off-production.
     
  6. If you’re outdoors, ask for an Easy-Up or Tarp so you have a shaded rest area.
     
  7. If it gets to the point where it’s unsafe, call your Studio’s Confidential Safety Hotline.  Here is a link to a list of all the Major Studio Safety Hotlines …. https://csatf.org/studio_safety_hotlines.pdf
     
  8. Call one of the Business Agent staff at Local 44.   818-769-2500
     
  9. Look out for your brothers and sisters. Take care of the person next to you.
     
  10. Don’t be a casualty. 

The following excerpt is from the Cal-OSHA Website:

Heat Illness Prevention     en Español



California employers are required to take these four steps to prevent heat illness:

  1. Training
    Train all employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention.
     
  2. Water
    Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, or four 8 ounce glasses, of water per hour, and encourage them to do so.
     
  3. Shade
    Provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least 5 minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
     
  4. Planning
    Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.