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Occupational Health Branch
Worker Heat Effects and Tracking (HEAT) Program

Occupational Health Branch

Worker HEAT (Heat Effects and Tracking) Program

The Worker HEAT program is operated by a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in health education, program analysis, epidemiology, and occupational medicine. Our program seeks to prevent heat-related illness (HRI) among California's workers by understanding the risk factors and patterns in health outcomes. We collaborate with partners to provide prevention and education resources to employers and workers in high-risk occupational settings.

Our Mission: Protect California’s high-risk workers from the dangerous effects of heat.

Program Activities

Working in construction under the hot sun.

Research: Tracking heat-related illness in California

Collaborate: Supporting critical outreach to protect workers

Teaching workers about heat illness Educate: Working with partners to train workers, or employers

Publications

NEW Occupational HRI Emergency Department Visits, California, 2016–2021 (PDF), Analysis Report, key findings of emergency department visits of work-related heat illness from 2016–2021.

Figure 1 shows the rate of occupational heat-related illness (HRI) emergency department (ED) visits in California by county during 2016-2021. Counties with the highest average yearly rates of ED visits for occupational HRI (greater than 15 ED visits per 100,00 workers) during 2016–2021 are labeled: Imperial County has a yearly rate of 33.5 visits per 100,000 workers, followed by 22.3 in Madera, 19.0 in Shasta, and 16.2 in Kings.

*We labeled counties with rates of HRI that were more than 15 per 100,000 workers. North to South, the counties are Shasta, Madera, Kings, and Imperial

Extreme Heat and Occupational Health Risks, Annual Review of Public Health, Describes the increased risk of HRI among workers.

Educational Materials

NEW Learn more about the signs and symptoms of HRI and how to take action with our 1- page infographic.

Available in English (PDF) |Spanish (PDF)

Contact Us

If you want to learn more or have questions about the Work HEAT program, please contact via email.

Tools and Resources

Additional Resources

Worker

Find a cooling center near you
CDPH Tips to prevent and to treat heat illness.
Cal/OSHA – Protect yourself from heat illness (PDF) and explore worker rights. Information on how to report a violation.
99 Calor.org – Outdoor worker resources and training videos.

Employer

Cal/OSHA - Heat Illness Resources Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – Heat Stress Workplace Recommendations.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – Educational resources

Local Health Jurisdictions

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