by
Government Affairs Team
| Jul 12, 2018
GCSAA's government affairs team focuses their time and attention in two primary areas: advocacy and compliance. The team is available to support golf facilities and superintendents as they attempt to comply with local, state and federal laws and regulations. The staff regularly provides one-on-one compliance counseling. Call 800- 472-7878, ext. 3619, for any compliance questions or needs.
Much of the country is currently experiencing a prolonged period of extreme heat ,and GCSAA wants to bring awareness of the robust set of resources that the Occupational Safety and Health Act makes available to employers across the country to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and hazards.
Under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA of 1970, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment that "is free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees." The courts have interpreted OSHA's general duty clause to mean that an employer has a legal obligation to provide a workplace free of conditions or activities that either the employer or industry recognizes as hazardous and that cause, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees when there is a feasible method to abate the hazard. This includes heat-related hazards that are likely to cause death or serious bodily harm.
Golf course workers outside on the course or inside the clubhouse can be exposed to excessive heat, so OSHA offers guidance on how to keep workers cool and healthy whether they are exposed to indoor or outdoor heat hazards.
Visit OSHA’s Occupational Heat Exposure web page to get heat stress support materials.