A worker shows signs of heat exhaustion on a job site. According to Cal/OSHA, what is the employer's immediate obligation?
Correct Answer
D) Move worker to shade and provide emergency medical services
Cal/OSHA requires immediate removal to shade and provision of emergency medical services for workers showing signs of heat illness.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Cal/OSHA Section 3395 requires employers to have an emergency response plan and to act immediately when a worker shows signs of heat illness. The required steps are: (1) move the worker to a cool, shaded area immediately, and (2) call for emergency medical services without delay. Heat exhaustion can rapidly progress to heat stroke, which is life-threatening, so both shade relief and professional medical evaluation are mandatory — not optional.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Provide water and continue work with monitoring
Providing water and continuing work is dangerous and non-compliant. While hydration is helpful, a worker already showing symptoms has crossed into a medical emergency threshold. Allowing them to continue working increases the risk of the condition escalating to heat stroke, which can be fatal.
Option B: Document the incident and continue work
Documentation is a subsequent step, not the immediate obligation. Prioritizing paperwork over the worker's physical condition violates the spirit and letter of Cal/OSHA heat illness regulations and would expose the employer to serious liability.
Option C: Send worker home for the day
Sending the worker home is inadequate and potentially dangerous. A worker showing heat exhaustion symptoms should not drive or navigate on their own. The appropriate response is medical evaluation on-site or via emergency services — not dismissal.
Memory Technique
Heat illness emergency = SHADE + CALL. Two steps, in that order: move to shade first (immediate cooling), then call 911 or emergency services. No monitoring, no documenting, no sending home — shade and call.
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