About this course
Food manufacturing facilities create both ends of the temperature spectrum in a single building — hot processing and packaging areas, boiler and oven zones, and warehouse loading docks on one side, and refrigerated coolers, blast freezers, and cold storage on the other. This course covers how to recognize and prevent both heat-related and cold-related illness for employees who move between, or work extended shifts within, these environments.
OSHA does not yet have a final standard specifically regulating heat or cold stress; a proposed rule, "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings," was published for comment in 2024 and remains in the rulemaking process. Until a final rule takes effect, heat and cold hazards are enforced under Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty Clause, and OSHA and NIOSH publish detailed guidance on recognizing heat exhaustion, heat stroke, frostbite, and hypothermia, and on using controls such as acclimatization schedules, water, rest, and shade for heat, and layered clothing with scheduled warm-up breaks for cold.
This training applies to any employee who works in high-heat production areas, outdoor loading docks, or refrigerated and freezer environments — which, in most food plants, is a large share of the workforce. Supervisors in these areas should also understand how to adjust work-rest schedules when conditions become extreme.
After completing this course, learners will be able to recognize the early warning signs of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, frostbite, and hypothermia, understand engineering and administrative controls used to reduce exposure, and know when and how to get help for themselves or a coworker showing symptoms.
Topics covered
- Recognizing heat exhaustion and heat stroke
- Recognizing frostbite and hypothermia
- Acclimatization, hydration, and work-rest cycles for hot environments
- Layered clothing and warm-up breaks for cold-storage work
- When and how to seek emergency help
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