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W i n e s & V i n e s J U n e 2 0 1 4 21 Vineyards Need to Prepare Workers for Heat O akland, Calif.—With prospects looming for a long, hot summer, vineyard owners and managers should ensure that safety mea- sures are in place to avoid heat-related ill- nesses among field workers. California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CalOSHA) issued the first High Heat Advisory of 2014 during the first week of May. Despite the ongoing drought, the state coordinator for heat enforcement Bill Krycia told Wines & Vines that during periods of extreme heat, CalOSHA recom- mends that workers "in all industries" con- sume 1 quart of water per hour. Although unwilling to cite specifics, Krycia acknowledged that his department already has received some complaints this year, as it did in 2013. The standards for employee protection have remained the same as when they were estab- lished in 2010, and employers should be pre- pared to implement them when the need arises. Staff training is a vital component of maintaining vineyard safety. "I recommend as best practice to conduct tailgate meetings regularly and routinely," Krycia said. "Employers should have short, regular meetings. Especially with extreme conditions: Remind employees to drink small quantities of water throughout the workday." Such meetings should begin "now—or earlier" to ensure worker safety, Krycia said. Employers can use CalOSHA's resources and free consultation program to develop and implement a heat safety plan for their compa- nies. "It can help develop a basic heat illness plan," Krycia said. Basic requirements for heat-illness preven- tion are boiled down to four main points. Employers must: • Train all employees and supervisors. • Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage them to do so. • Provide access to shade and encourage em- ployees to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least five minutes. Workers should not wait until they feel sick to cool down. • Develop and implement written proce- dures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard. —Jane Firstenfeld West Coast: 81 M Street Fresno, CA 93721 Tel: 559.485.2692 Midwest: 1401 Ware Street Waupaca, WI 54981 Tel: 715.258.5525 The Wine Lab TM : 640-D Airpark Road Napa, CA 94558 Tel: 707.224.7903 East Coast: 1165 Globe Avenue Mountainside, NJ 07092 Tel: 908.301.1811 The Revolutionaries Behind Wineʼs Visionaries Malolactic Bacteria, Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts Fermentation Nutrients Membrane Cartridge Filters, Laboratory Consumables Divergan F – PVPP OenoFoss - FTIR Analytical Instrumentation Filter Sheets, Lenticular Cartridges, Cellulose Pre-Coat Fibers Cross Flow Filters, RO Systems Liquid and Granular Enological Enzymes Oak-Mor ® /Oak Avantage ® Chips and Granular Oak www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com ® For 90 years, Gusmer has oered a full range of innovative enological tools that allow for your creative expression through unique and interesting wines. Equipment, analytical instrumentation and processing aids, brought to you by leading suppliers in the wine industry – and all backed by strong technical support. The options for expression have never been greater and the tools never better, so go ahead, be unique, and express yourself. For more information, contact Gusmer today. YEARS CO 2 Analytical Instrumentation Grape Tannins Wine Hose & Spray Nozzles At Gusmer, we know the wine you create is just as unique as you are. M A Y N E W S J U N E N E W S