In order to improve employers' facilities for preventing heat hazards when workers are engaged in outdoor work in high-temperature environments and strengthen the health protection of related workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Ministry of Labor has revised the Guidelines for Preventing Heat Hazards in High-Temperature Work. The key points are summarized as follows:
1. It is clarified that the applicable objects are all workers in business units: including workers, self-employed workers, and dispatched workers.
2. It is added that necessary cooling equipment and rest areas should be set up when the heat hazard risk reaches the highest level: In conjunction with the revised and promulgated rules on occupational safety and health facilities in August 2014, Article 303-1 is added, and outdoor work with heat hazard risks of Level 4 should be equipped with equipment that can shade and reduce the temperature of the working environment, and a cool rest area should be provided. At the same time, sufficient drinking water should be provided.
3. Specify that the Central Weather Bureau's temperature and humidity information be used to query the heat index and assess the risk of heat hazards: In 2014, the Central Weather Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications cooperated with the Central Weather Bureau to help connect the "High Temperature Operation Protection Information Network" of the agency to the hourly temperature and humidity information of each county, city, district and town. Business units or workers can use the information network to query the heat hazard risk level of their location and obtain relevant response measures on their mobile phones.
4. Add protective measures for deliverymen or variable and temporary operations (such as sign-holders): including wearing moisture-absorbing and perspiration-wicking clothing, carrying sufficient drinking water, using personal protective equipment or supplies depending on weather conditions and work conditions, making good use of government agencies, libraries, hypermarkets or cooperative stores open to the public as rest areas and replenishing water, and establishing a real-time health status notification mechanism.
5. Add cooling measures and rest area settings for special work patterns: For work environments or geographical locations that are restricted (such as high-altitude power tower maintenance), work scopes that are not fixed or moved at irregular intervals (such as road construction), etc., it is not easy to set up sunshade and cooling facilities at the workplace. Employers should provide personal protective equipment or supplies, and should plan and set up simple rest areas in advance.
6. Provide specific diagrams and descriptions of heat hazard prevention measures and facilities: including sunshade (such as sunshade nets, awnings, umbrellas, etc.), cooling facilities (such as fans, water mist, etc.), rest areas and personal protective equipment, etc.