Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Plan

Which indoor areas get hot, and what makes them hot?

The cook line, the space around the grill and the two fryers, and the dish pit. On a July afternoon the line runs about 95 degrees and the dish pit is close to 90 once the machine has been going a while.

Where can employees go to cool down, and how do you keep that spot cool?

The cool-down spot is the two-top table by the back office next to the walk-in, which stays under 80 degrees with the air conditioning on. Anyone can go sit there whenever they need to, for as long as they need, and nobody has to ask permission first.

How do you keep fresh, cool drinking water available and topped up all shift?

There is a five-gallon insulated cooler at the end of the cook line and another one by the dish pit. We fill both with ice water before the lunch rush and again at 4:00 p.m., with a stack of cups next to each one. The opening cook checks them through the day and the closing cook empties and washes them.

What is your emergency plan if someone shows signs of heat illness?

The manager on duty calls 911 from the phone by the register and sends someone out to the Broadway curb to wave the ambulance in. The street address and the cross street are posted next to that phone. Nobody who is sick from the heat is left by themselves, not for a minute.