Your crew is working on a residential roof replacement project when the temperature reaches 87°F. One worker complains of dizziness and nausea. What is your immediate responsibility under Cal/OSHA heat illness prevention requirements?
Correct Answer
D) Provide immediate cool-down rest in shade and do not leave the employee alone
Cal/OSHA requires immediate response to heat illness symptoms including cool-down rest in shade and not leaving the employee alone until symptoms subside.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Cal/OSHA's heat illness prevention standard (8 CCR 3395) requires that when a worker shows symptoms of possible heat illness, the employer must immediately provide cool-down rest in the shade and must not leave the worker alone or send them home unobserved. These symptoms can progress rapidly to heat stroke, which is life-threatening.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Send the employee home for the day
Sending the employee home alone is dangerous and a Cal/OSHA violation. The regulation explicitly prohibits leaving a symptomatic worker unattended—the worker could lose consciousness while driving or walking. Observation is mandatory.
Option B: Continue work but monitor the employee closely
Continuing work while merely monitoring the employee is inadequate and violates Cal/OSHA requirements. Once symptoms appear, immediate cool-down rest in shade is required—passive monitoring does not address the physiological emergency.
Option C: Reduce work pace by 50% for all employees
Reducing work pace for all employees is not a Cal/OSHA-prescribed response to an individual showing heat illness symptoms. The correct response is to address the symptomatic employee immediately with shade, cool-down rest, and supervision.
Memory Technique
Remember the 3 S's for heat illness response: Shade (move to shade immediately), Stay (do not leave alone), and Symptoms (report if they do not subside quickly for emergency response).
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