Heat rules in Saskatchewan: regulation 6-7 and WorkSafe Saskatchewan's hot conditions guidelines
What the Government of Saskatchewan and CCOHS say about the duty to protect workers from heat stress, and the WBGT and humidex tables in WorkSafe Saskatchewan's Hot Conditions Guidelines.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It restates the Government of Saskatchewan's Working Outdoors page, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) summary of provincial temperature legislation and WorkSafe Saskatchewan's Hot Conditions Guidelines (document dated 08/23), as read on October 9, 2026. The text of the regulation itself was not opened for this page, so the sections below are described as the two government summaries word them. The comparison of every place is on the heat rules overview.
What the duty is
The Saskatchewan page says that under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, employers must take measures to protect workers from heat stress disorders if it is not possible to adequately control the conditions where work is done, indoors or outdoors. If workers are concerned about thermal conditions at an indoor place of employment, the employer must supply suitable monitoring equipment so that conditions are comfortable for the work. The page says engineering and administrative controls can be used, and should be put in place by the employer with the help of the occupational health committee or representative. It adds that in the province, heat stress tends to arise in summer heat waves and around hot, humid work processes. CCOHS lists the provision as section 6-7, "Thermal conditions": provide and maintain measures to protect workers, and offer reasonable thermal comfort. Neither summary gives a fixed temperature at which work must stop.
WorkSafe Saskatchewan's guidelines
The guidelines are labelled guidance, not regulation. They name three indices for judging heat stress: wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), the Botsball or wet globe temperature, and humidex. They call WBGT the preferred index because it takes in air temperature, radiant heat, air movement and humidity. Table 1 lists the WBGT ranges for each work rate and each amount of rest per hour. It applies only to acclimatized workers in lightweight, light coloured, loose cotton clothing, and is described as an initial screening tool.
| Work load | WBGT for continuous work, then for 15, 30 and 45 minutes of rest per hour |
|---|---|
| Light | Up to 30.0, then up to 31.0, up to 32.0, up to 32.5 degrees Celsius |
| Moderate | Up to 28.0, then up to 29.0, up to 30.0, up to 31.5 degrees Celsius |
| Heavy | Continuous work not recommended, then up to 27.5, up to 29.0, up to 30.5 degrees Celsius |
| Very heavy | Continuous work and 15 minutes of rest not recommended, then up to 28.0, up to 30.0 degrees Celsius |
The guidelines define heavy work as including carrying, shoveling, manual sawing, pushing and pulling heavy loads and fast walking, and they say the WBGT limits are adjusted down for heavy protective clothing and for workers who are not acclimatized, over 40, or have other susceptibilities. For humidex, Table 2 asks users to add 5 to the measured value when cotton coveralls are worn over summer clothes, and 2 to 3 for direct sunlight between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. depending on cloud, then to read the response by band, from cool water as needed up to 15, 30 and 45 minute breaks per hour. A footnote says only medically supervised work can continue at a humidex above 45. The guidelines also say acclimatization loss is noticeable after four days and may be complete in three to four weeks.
Sources
- Government of Saskatchewan, Working Outdoors in Saskatchewan, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe Saskatchewan, Hot Conditions Guidelines, 08/23, read October 9, 2026
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Temperature conditions: legislation, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe Saskatchewan, Working Under Hot Conditions technical guide, read October 9, 2026