Heat Stress Policy

Heat Stress Policy

Some of the finest names in healthcare, including Indiana University Health, University of Michigan Health System, and Stanford University rely on Sonicu to provide a robust and continuous environmental monitoring system, including temperature, humidity, air pressure, and more. 

These respected healthcare and research brands turn to Sonicu for four primary reasons:

• Real-Time Monitoring: the sensors collect temperature, humidity, air pressure data, and more, and transmit it wirelessly to SoniCloud - our cloud-based platform.
• Operational Efficiency: Virtually eliminate the need for tedious and costly manual logging 
• Compliance Automation: Respond to any regulatory audit or inspection in a few clicks with our reports section
• Asset Protection: Detect and respond to any threshold that can threaten anything perishable: food, drugs, vaccines, research, etc. 

Our customers stay with us thanks to our American-based customer support, which is never more than a phone call away. While our technology is intuitive and powerful, we know it’s only as strong as the people who stand behind it.

Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to properly cool itself through sweat and other natural mechanisms. In the workplace, prolonged exposure to high temperatures, humidity, or radiant heat sources can lead to dangerous conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. 

These heat-related illnesses can result in serious injury, loss of productivity, and, in extreme cases, even death.

Industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, and warehousing are particularly vulnerable to heat stress risks due to the nature of their operations.

With climate change intensifying global temperatures and increasing the frequency of heatwaves, the risks associated with heat stress are becoming more prominent.

The potential for heat stress extends to both outdoor and indoor work environments, affecting a wide range of industries.

As these conditions worsen, government agencies such as OSHA and Cal/OSHA are taking steps to protect workers by introducing stricter regulations and standards for heat stress management.

Heat stress not only endangers the health and safety of workers, but it also negatively impacts business operations.

Employees who suffer from heat-related illnesses are more likely to be absent from work, and those who continue working under extreme conditions may experience decreased efficiency and cognitive function.

This creates a substantial burden for businesses, including increased healthcare costs, workers' compensation claims, and productivity losses.

New Heat Stress Regulations: OSHA and Cal/OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) have been at the forefront of efforts to establish comprehensive heat stress regulations to protect workers in various industries.

These efforts are particularly important as extreme temperatures are becoming more common across the country.

At the federal level, OSHA has historically addressed heat-related hazards under its General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. 

However, this clause lacks specific guidelines and enforceability when it comes to managing heat stress. In response to growing concerns, OSHA has proposed a federal heat stress standard that would introduce more detailed and enforceable requirements for employers.

The new proposed rule would apply to both indoor and outdoor workplaces, emphasizing the need for monitoring and controlling temperature, humidity, and other factors contributing to heat stress.

This proposed rule aims to mandate comprehensive measures, including proper hydration, scheduled rest breaks, and the implementation of heat mitigation practices.

Cal/OSHA, on the other hand, has been a pioneer in regulating heat stress, particularly for outdoor workers in industries such as agriculture and construction.

Since 2005, Cal/OSHA has required outdoor employers to follow a heat illness prevention standard, which mandates access to shade, cool water, and regular rest breaks for workers exposed to high temperatures.

Recognizing that heat stress is not exclusive to outdoor settings, Cal/OSHA has also been working on expanding these protections to indoor workers.

The proposed indoor heat stress regulation would extend many of the same protections currently in place for outdoor workers to employees in industries such as warehousing, food processing, and healthcare.

Both OSHA and Cal/OSHA’s proposed rules emphasize the need for employers to create a proactive heat stress management plan.

This includes monitoring environmental conditions, identifying high-risk areas, educating employees on heat stress symptoms, and providing appropriate heat mitigation resources.

As these regulations move forward, businesses must begin to prepare for the stricter compliance requirements that will come into play.

Sonicu has extensive experience in this area, having successfully implemented similar solutions for several clients in California, where CAL/OSHA has been a pioneer in these regulations.

Sonicu is a trusted partner for organizations that prioritize compliance, and we are well-equipped to meet your regulatory needs.

Developing a Comprehensive Heat Stress Policy

A heat stress policy is essential for ensuring that businesses comply with OSHA and Cal/OSHA regulations while protecting their workers from the dangers of excessive heat.

An effective heat stress policy should cover several key areas, including risk assessment, environmental monitoring, employee training, emergency response protocols, and recordkeeping.

The first step in creating a heat stress policy is identifying and assessing areas of risk within the workplace.

Employers must evaluate both indoor and outdoor work environments to determine where and when heat stress is most likely to occur.

This can involve monitoring historical temperature data, analyzing work schedules, and considering other factors such as humidity, radiant heat, and air circulation.

For example, industries like warehousing and manufacturing may have indoor areas where heat builds up due to machinery and poor ventilation.

In food service environments, kitchens and preparation areas can become dangerously hot, putting employees at risk.

Once high-risk areas have been identified, businesses must establish environmental monitoring systems to continuously track temperature and humidity levels.

This is especially important as OSHA and Cal/OSHA’s proposed rules are expected to require more rigorous monitoring of workplace conditions.

Heat stress monitors can play a critical role in this process, providing real-time data that enables employers to make informed decisions about modifying work practices, scheduling rest breaks, or even halting operations when conditions become too dangerous.

The integration of monitoring technology is key to developing an effective heat stress policy that keeps workers safe.

Employee training is another essential component of any heat stress policy. Workers must be educated on the symptoms of heat stress, such as dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, and confusion.

They also need to understand the importance of hydration, proper clothing, and taking rest breaks when necessary. Supervisors and managers must be trained to recognize the early signs of heat stress in employees and to take swift action when an individual appears to be suffering from a heat-related illness.

This training should be conducted regularly to ensure all employees are well-informed and prepared.

Emergency response protocols are critical for addressing heat stress incidents. In the event of a heat-related illness, quick action is necessary to prevent serious injury or death.

Businesses should have a plan in place for providing medical assistance, transporting affected employees to cool areas, and administering first aid as needed.

Supervisors should be trained to activate these emergency procedures when necessary, and the entire workforce should be aware of what to do if a heat stress emergency arises.

Maintaining accurate records of heat stress prevention efforts is crucial for demonstrating compliance with OSHA and Cal/OSHA regulations.

Recordkeeping should include data from environmental monitoring, employee training sessions, and any incidents of heat-related illnesses that occur in the workplace.

Documentation provides a clear record of the steps taken to protect workers, which can help businesses avoid penalties, fines, and legal liabilities.

Effective recordkeeping also allows employers to analyze trends and identify areas where improvements may be needed.

By monitoring the key variables that contribute to heat stress, businesses can create safer and more comfortable work environments, minimizing the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Sonicu offers more than a year of data storage for your logs and our sensors are completely wireless, cost-effective, and easy to deploy.

Our alerting system is highly customizable, providing notifications via text, email, phone calls, and push notifications.

These alerts can be configured to repeat and escalate, ensuring that the appropriate personnel are promptly informed and can take necessary action.

Sonicu sensors are compact, resembling hockey pucks in size and shape, and are IP67-rated for durability.  They measure both ambient temperature and humidity, with our cloud-based software automatically calculating the heat index.

Sonicu software also offers sophisticated multi-site management features, enabling you to efficiently oversee multiple divisions.

How IoT Devices Can Enhance Heat Stress Monitoring

With the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, businesses now have access to more sophisticated tools for monitoring heat stress in the workplace.

IoT-based systems provide real-time data on temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors that contribute to heat stress, allowing employers to make more informed decisions and take proactive steps to protect their employees.

IoT-based heat stress monitoring systems consist of interconnected sensors that can be installed in various parts of the workplace to continuously track environmental conditions.

These sensors communicate with a centralized platform, often hosted in the cloud, which allows managers to view real-time data and receive alerts when conditions become hazardous.

By leveraging IoT technology, businesses can ensure that their heat stress policies are implemented effectively and that any risks are identified and mitigated before they result in harm to employees.

One of the primary advantages of IoT devices is their ability to provide continuous, automated monitoring.

Instead of relying on manual checks or outdated thermometers, IoT sensors can gather data in real time, offering a more accurate picture of the workplace environment.

This level of precision is particularly important in industries like food service, healthcare, and warehousing, where temperature variations can occur rapidly, and heat stress risks may fluctuate throughout the day.

Additionally, IoT-based systems offer enhanced data analytics capabilities.

The data collected from heat stress sensors can be analyzed to identify trends and patterns over time. For example, a warehouse may experience higher temperatures during specific hours or in certain areas of the facility.

Sonicu helps companies manage the risk of heat stress by delivering affordable and simple heat stress monitoring technology that employers can deploy rapidly and keep track of their heat stress situation from virtually anywhere. 

Thermal environment monitors, for instance, are devoted to the measurement of heat. 

Therefore, they overlap quite a lot with heat stress monitoring equipment and other types of temperature monitoring devices. 

A business or organization may understand the need to use thermal environmental monitoring, but they still may struggle with how to use thermal environment monitor.  

That is why many businesses turn to the wireless technology of Sonicu’s remoting heat stress monitoring system. 

With Sonicu, the thermal monitor manual is easy to digest and the system has a user-friendly dashboard and interface to make heat stress monitoring as easy and efficient as it can possibly be. 

These are some of the reasons why businesses turn to wireless thermal environmental monitoring.

• Operational Efficiency: Virtually eliminate the need for tedious and costly manual logging 
• Compliance Automation: Respond to virtually any regulatory audit or inspection in a few clicks with our reports section
• People Protection: Detect and respond to temperatures deemed too high by regulators so you can protect your employees from heat-related injuries

Rather than constantly having to manually log in data, a supervisor can place the settings wherever they want them and trust that the system will alert them should there be any deviation from the desired temperature or other climate conditions. 

Sonicu offers more than a year of data storage for your logs and our sensors are completely wireless, cost-effective, and easy to deploy.

Our alerting system is highly customizable, providing notifications via text, email, phone calls, and push notifications.

These alerts can be configured to repeat and escalate, ensuring that the appropriate personnel are promptly informed and can take necessary action.

Sonicu sensors are compact, resembling hockey pucks in size and shape, and are IP67-rated for durability.  They measure both ambient temperature and humidity, with our cloud-based software automatically calculating the heat index.

Sonicu software also offers sophisticated multi-site management features, enabling you to efficiently oversee multiple divisions.

You can learn more about how Sonicu software helps compliance professionals in these case studies:

Hamilton County, Indiana Health Department: Vaccine Monitoring
Problem: The need to protect vaccines from temperature excursions and meet state compliance requirements with an outdated analog system.
Solution: Implemented a new monitoring system with a mobile app and robust support, enhancing the management of remote COVID-19 vaccination programs.

Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital: Pharmacy Monitoring for Remote Clinics
Problem: After a freezer failure led to a loss of drugs, the pharmacy director needed a reliable and simple monitoring solution for multiple remote clinics.
Solution: Adopted Sonicu's temperature monitoring system, enhancing audit readiness and deploying a mobile app to employees across clinics in Illinois.

Nomi Health: Fast installation, simple deployment
Problem: A rapidly growing healthcare technology startup needed to scale quickly and monitor cold chain storage devices nationwide.
Solution: Implement Sonicu's temperature probes with a central command center for enterprise visibility, allowing fast and easy training for reps across the country.

Our customers such as Exide Technologies are proud users of Sonicu’s ecosystem. Using Sonicu’s ecosystem you have access to all the products below:

• SoniLink Hub: Hardware for connectivity 
• SoniShield: Hardware and Software to protect assets
• SoniCloud Platform: Our proprietary software where users interact with their instance
• Digital Sensors & Probes: Hardware (probes and sensors) in the cold/frozen environments 

By analyzing this data, businesses can adjust their operations to minimize exposure to heat stress, such as by adjusting work schedules, improving ventilation, or implementing additional cooling measures.

Another key benefit of IoT technology is remote monitoring.

With cloud-based platforms, managers can monitor environmental conditions across multiple worksites without being physically present.

This is particularly valuable for large operations, such as hospital networks or food distribution centers, where it may not be feasible for safety personnel to be on-site at all times.

Remote monitoring allows businesses to respond quickly to heat stress risks, even if key decision-makers are off-site.

IoT devices also enhance the ability to comply with OSHA and Cal/OSHA regulations.

As these agencies finalize their new heat stress rules, businesses will be required to provide more detailed records of environmental monitoring and the measures taken to protect employees.

IoT-based systems can automatically generate reports, providing the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance with regulatory standards.

This reduces the administrative burden on businesses while ensuring that they meet all legal obligations related to heat stress prevention.

Wireless remote temperature monitoring is most convenient for environmental monitoring and business operations.

The Sonicu Ambient Temperature solution can help ensure that the OSHA heat safety requirements are met in your facility. 

Combining wireless sensors with remote monitoring software, the smart solution measures humidity and temperature in critical environments, including warehouses, distribution centers, depots, processing plants, and kitchens.

The Sonicu Facility Monitoring solution sends a real-time alert so you can take prompt remedial action to prevent heat-related sickness.

The Value of Proactive Heat Stress Management

As OSHA and Cal/OSHA continue to develop and implement stricter heat stress regulations, businesses must recognize the importance of proactive heat stress management. 

Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant financial penalties, increased workers' compensation claims, and a damaged reputation.

More importantly, protecting employees from heat stress is a moral obligation that helps create a safer, healthier work environment.

By investing in advanced heat stress monitoring systems and implementing a comprehensive heat stress policy, businesses can reduce the risks associated with extreme temperatures and maintain compliance with regulatory standards.

Tyner Pond has entrusted Sonicu and received these top features: 

• American-based Customer Service and Tech Support 
• Redundancy of Power/Connectivity to protect data integrity 
• SNAP calibration service for NIST compliance
• Hardware assembled in the United States 
• Built on AWS Cloud for simplicity, speed, reliability, and scalability

Proactive heat stress management not only protects workers but also improves overall operational efficiency. Workers who are protected from heat-related illnesses are more likely to remain productive, reducing absenteeism and increasing job satisfaction.

Heat stress monitoring systems powered by IoT devices offer businesses a powerful tool for tracking environmental conditions, predicting heat stress risks, and responding in real time. 

These systems allow companies to adapt to changing regulations and evolving climate conditions, ultimately helping them create safer and more resilient workplaces.

As climate change continues to drive extreme temperatures and heatwaves, businesses must be prepared to adapt their heat stress policies to protect workers from increasingly hazardous conditions.

Implementing IoT-based monitoring systems is one of the most effective ways to meet this challenge, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while safeguarding the health and well-being of employees.

By staying ahead of regulatory changes and leveraging the latest technology, businesses can create safer, more efficient, and more compliant work environments.

“Sonicu has been a powerful tool to identify which units are behaving out of spec and get our team
to fix them before we have a serious issue.”
Tim Livesay, Director, Hancock Regional Hospital Pharmacy Director