From the Summit.

1. Pick the temperature that starts your program

   Decide the point at which the extra precautions switch on, write it down, and measure it the same way every day. The stalled federal proposal used a heat index of 80°F for basic measures and 90°F for high-heat measures. That is a reasonable benchmark even though it is not law.

   • Use heat index, not air temperature. Humidity is what makes Florida dangerous
   • Name who checks it, when, and where they record it
   • Account for radiant heat: roofs, asphalt, vehicle cabs, and metal buildings run far hotter than the forecast
2. Acclimatize new and returning workers

   Most heat fatalities happen in a worker's first week. The body needs roughly one to two weeks of graded exposure to adapt, and it loses that adaptation after about a week away.

   • New workers: start around 20% of normal heat exposure on day one, adding about 20% each day
   • Returning after a week or more off, whether vacation, illness, injury, or a cool stretch, restart the ramp
   • Watch new hires closely; do not send them out alone during the ramp
3. Make water, rest, and shade automatic

   If a break has to be requested, it will not be taken. Build the cadence into the schedule so nobody has to ask.

   • Cool drinking water within easy reach, roughly one cup every 20 minutes
   • Shade or air conditioning close enough that a break is actually a break, not a walk
   • Scheduled rest that increases with the heat index, not left to the crew's judgment
   • Move the heaviest work to the coolest hours where the job allows
4. Train supervisors to recognize it and act

   Heat exhaustion and heat stroke look similar at first, and the difference is measured in minutes. Confusion, slurred speech, stumbling, or a worker who stops sweating is a 911 call, not a water break.

   • Train every supervisor and every worker, in the language they speak
   • Give one clear instruction: symptoms mean stop work, cool the person, stay with them
   • Nobody who feels sick from heat is left alone or sent home to drive themselves
   • Make it clear that reporting symptoms never costs anyone their job or their hours
5. Write it down and rehearse it

   A plan nobody has practiced is a document, not a program. The emergency piece is the part worth drilling, because it is the part that gets used under stress.

   • Written plan naming who is responsible for each piece
   • Emergency response steps posted where the work happens, including the site address for the 911 call
   • Cooling method ready before you need it. Cold water immersion is the recognized first-line treatment for heat stroke
   • Review after every heat-related incident or near miss, and once before each summer

Please note: this is general educational information from the Safety Outreach Summit Planning Committee, not legal advice and not a compliance determination. Your obligations depend on your industry, your operations, and the rules in force at the time. Confirm current requirements with OSHA, your carrier, or your own safety and legal counsel before adopting any of it.