The good news is that summer is fast approaching. The bad news is the dangers of working in the heat come with it. In 2014, nearly 2,650 workers suffered from heat illnesses at job sites, while 18 workers died from heat stress and related causes, according to OSHA. High working temperatures can create health problems for employees whether they work inside or outside. If you’re serious about improving safety at your company, you need to take concrete steps to protect employees from heat stress, heat stroke, other heat-related illnesses during the summer months.
But protecting workers from heat stress and other heat-related illnesses is easier said than done. That’s especially true when it comes to new employees, contractors, and full-timers returning from vacations. These employees are often more at risk than other workers when working temperatures are high. Some of heat-related illnesses, like heat stroke and heat exhaustion, can be fatal without immediate attention. Others, like fainting, heat cramps, and heat rashes, are temporary but still need to be taken seriously. As a safety manager, you can help prevent heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses on the job by taking the right steps.
Heat Affects Both Workers and Equipment
It’s common for employees in the hard hat industries to battle high temperatures while working outside, especially in places like New York City and Los Angeles. But employees who work inside also must be weary of the heat during a work day. For example, heating and air-conditioning contractors often work in temperatures of 120°F/49°C or more while in a homeowner’s attic or a high-rise’s crawl space. Equipment is also at risk in the heat. High temperatures can reduce the elasticity of seals and sealants, causing equipment failure. That can seriously injure employees, driving up a company’s compensation costs and reducing profitability.
New workers and temporary employees are most at risk for heat-related illnesses during the summer—a big problem in certain industries like construction. Hundreds of veteran workers left the industry seeking other employment opportunities after the economic downturn of 2008. Many of these workers haven’t returned to the industry, creating a labor shortage. That, in turn, is forcing construction companies to hire inexperienced workers to compensate for the lack of labor. Many of these new employees have little experience working outside in the sun and are at risk for heat stress.
An OSHA investigation of 25 heat stress and heat-related incidents in 2005 found that almost half of the cases involved a worker on his or her first day on the job, while 80% of these cases involved workers who had only been on the job for four or fewer days. These workers failed to recognize the symptoms of heated-related illnesses thanks in large part to a lack of training by the employer. Using
onboarding software to train employees on the dangers of working in the heat before they start work reduces the risk of new workers suffering heat exhaustion, heat stress, and other heat-related illnesses.
Best Practices for Preventing Heat-related Illnesses
Below are seven best practices that safety managers can employ to help employees battle the dangers of working in high temperatures. Safety managers should implement them in addition to creating an emergency plan that spells out what to do if there’s a problem. These measures are cost-effective solutions and easy to implement at job sites:
1.
Train workers — Training is critical for any employee that works in the heat. Some topics you can cover in training sessions include:
- Types of heat-related illnesses
- How heat impacts the body during intensive labor
- How to prevent heat stroke
- Signs of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses
- Steps to take if a worker is experiencing heat stress
- Importance of getting acclimated to a working climate
Above all, make sure workers understand that they need to get plenty of water, shade, and rest on days when temperatures are high. Make sure they also understand that exposure to the sun and body heat generated by physical exertion can lead to heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
2.
Provide a shaded area — Set up a shaded area for workers to go to once temperatures reach 80 degrees or above, and during breaks and rest periods. Make sure the area is fully shaded. Encourage employees to rest and cool off in these areas and make them easily accessible. Tents, air-conditioned site trailers, vehicles, and ventilated buildings work well as shaded areas for workers.
3.
Monitor the forecast — The risk of workers experiencing heat-related illnesses goes up as the heat index rises. So, check the weather forecast regularly to make sure you’re implementing the right protective measures. The heat index combines air temperature and relative humidity in one figure. Meteorologists use it to tell how hot it feels outside. Safety managers can download OSHA’s safety tool app for iPad and Android to calculate the heat index automatically for wherever they are.
4.
Monitor workers frequently — Check on employees throughout the day for symptoms of heat-exhaustion and other related illnesses. You can do this verbally or by checking their vital signs, like blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, water loss, and so on. Also, pair workers up on the buddy system and make sure employees are aware that personal risk factors like age, general health, level of acclimatization, medication, and alcohol consumption can make you more susceptible to the heat. Progressive companies are using wearable technology to monitor workers for heat stress and other heat-related illnesses.
5.
Acclimatize new workers and returning workers — It takes from 7 to 15 days for your body to adjust to the heat (fully acclimatized). So, have new workers, temporary employees, and people just back from vacations ease into doing strenuous activities—especially if they’re not used to doing them. Work them into these activities gradually and have them take frequent breaks. Start by assigning them half the normal workload then increase it daily.
6.
Keep employees hydrated — This is a no-brainer. Have plenty of water and fruit juices available for employees to drink from during the day. Employees need to drink one liter every hour to maintain hydration throughout the day. Also, remind workers to drink something every 15 to 20 minutes whether they feel thirsty or not and to avoid caffeine and alcohol during the day, which can dehydrate you.
7.
Wear appropriate clothing — Employees need to protect themselves from the sun when working outside even if it’s not that hot out. So, have them cover up as much as possible on bad days with loose fitting clothing made from fabrics that breathe. Working without a shirt or a hat allows the sun to dry your sweat too quickly, preventing it from cooling the body the way it normally does.
Encouraging workers to watch out for one another, reminding employees to report incidences when they feel uncomfortable, and equipping supervisors with iPads so they can monitor heat and humidity are additional best practices during the summer. Managers can also use the iPads to access safety apps relating to heat stress, heat exhaustion, and other heat-related illnesses for educating and coaching employees. Implementing these best practices will protect workers from high working temperatures, help reduce compensation costs, and increase profitability.
What are the risk factors of working in high temperatures? Download the free ebook to find out and learn how to protect your workers on-site!
