Bill > H3995

This bill establishes comprehensive protections for workers exposed to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, across indoor and outdoor worksites in Massachusetts. The legislation requires employers to develop written programs that identify and mitigate temperature-related health risks, including implementing engineering and administrative controls, providing shade or warm areas, ensuring access to drinking water, and mandating preventative rest breaks. For heat-related conditions, employers must provide cool-down areas, monitor temperatures using a globe thermometer, and take specific actions when temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with additional requirements when temperatures reach 90 or 100 degrees. Similarly, for cold conditions below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must provide warm-up areas, monitor employee health, and ensure protective equipment and communication systems are in place. The bill mandates comprehensive training for employees and supervisors, covering temperature-related illness symptoms, prevention strategies, and emergency response procedures. Employers must also maintain detailed records of temperature-related illnesses and fatalities, and are prohibited from retaliating against workers who report hazardous working conditions. The goal is to protect workers from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, frostbite, and other temperature-related health risks, particularly emphasizing protection for new workers who are most vulnerable to such conditions.