Ep. 610 Staying Safe in the Heat Preventing Heat Illness for Employees
As temperatures rise in San Diego and across the country, and we head into the summer months, Rancho Mesa Client Coordinator Jadyn Brandt and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to talk about heat illness prevention.
Show Notes: Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter, Register for Heat Illness Workshop
Host: Jadyn Brandt
Guest: Brenda Colby
Editor: Megan Lockhart
Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production
© Copyright 2026. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Transcript
Jadyn Brandt: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive. I’m your host, Jadyn Brandt, and I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to talk about heat illness prevention.
Brenda, welcome to the show.
Brenda Colby: Thanks Jadyn, happy to be here.
JB: Temperatures are rising here in San Diego and across the country, as we head into the summer months.
Brenda, will you tell us what heat-related risks employers should be aware of, and why early acclimatization is such a critical factor in preventing workplace incidents?
BC: Sure. So, as it gets hotter, employees will likely need to adjust their work habits to ensure they are staying safe and hydrated.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports over 70% of fatalities from heat illness occur in the first week of work.
OSHA attributes that statistic to a lack of acclimatization, or proper adjustment to the changing temperatures.
And, to define acclimatization, this is a 7-14 day process where a worker’s body temporarily adapts to heat stress through gradual exposure to working in hot conditions. By gradually increasing the duration of work in the heat over a period of time, it physiologically changes how your body manages heat, allowing you to work safely, reducing the risk of heat illness.
JB: Yeah, it sounds like training employees on how to properly adjust to an increase in temperature is important in preventing heat illness.
What are some of the precautions OSHA recommends employees take to prevent heat illness?
BC: OSHA recommends following the 20% rule. That means, on the first day in the heat, workers should do no more than 20% of the shift’s duration at full intensity.
Each day, increase the duration of time at full intensity by no more than 20% a day until workers are used to working in the heat.
Other recommendations include staying hydrated, taking rest breaks in a shaded area, wearing protective clothing, and monitoring for signs of heat illness.
JB: Okay, those are some good reminders for employers to share with their employees.
And Rancho Mesa provides lots of resources to our clients for heat illness prevention. Will you share what is available through our SafetyOne platform and the RM365 HRAdvantage portal?
BC: Absolutely.
SafetyOne is a great resource for employers looking to train and document heat illness prevention.
Resources include:
Heat Stress Online Training Courses
Toolbox Talks for weekly safety training
Observation Reports for documentation and issue identification
Mobile Forms to collect safety data
And Heat Advisories that can be sent through the Company News function
And, if an incident does occur, it can be documented in your OSHA 300 logs through the RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal.
JB: Yeah, there are a lot of ways to protect your employees and your company using SafetyOne and the HR portal.
Plus, Rancho Mesa is hosting a Heat Illness Prevention workshop on June 12th, 2026 at 9:00 am at our Mission Valley office.
We’ll have a link to register in the episode notes.
So Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing our SafetyOne and HR portal resources for heat illness awareness and prevention, what’s the best way to get in touch with you?
BC: As always, clients can contact me at bcolby@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.
JB: Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne.
BC: Thanks for having me.
JB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.