Beat the Heat: how to prevent heat stress & heat-related illness at work
Summer 2022/23 is fast approaching, and while many people are ready to get out and enjoy the sun, it’s important to be aware that summer comes with associated risks – particularly on a worksite.
Heat stress is one of the biggest threats to employees working outdoors over the summer months. Heat stress is when the body cannot cool itself and maintain a healthy temperature (which should be 37℃).
Illnesses related to heat stress include:
Dizziness & Fainting
Heat Rash
Heat Cramps
Heat Exhaustion
Heatstroke
You can learn more about the signs and symptoms of these heat-related illnesses here.
These illnesses are not only harmful to your employees’ health but can also create hazardous situations for the employees that could lead to accidents in the workplace. Not only do these cause personal trauma to the employees and their families, but they would also result in productivity loss for the business.
Furthermore, if your business isn’t doing anything to mitigate these heat-related risks, you could be violating WHS standards which may have significant legal ramifications and could damage your business’s reputation.
How to mitigate heat stress
As we mentioned, the human body’s temperature needs to be at 37℃ to remain healthy. Depending on how high the air temperature outside is, as well as the relative humidity, increases the likelihood of heat stress and associated heat-related illnesses.
You must keep an eye on the temperature to keep your workforce safe, so ensure you use tools such as the Heat Index Calculator to ensure that your employees are working in safe conditions.
To protect your employees, you need to ensure they have adequate access to water and shade and are ready in the event of a heat-related emergency. Is your business prepared? Follow our checklist below to find out.
Heat Stress Prevention Checklist
WATER:
Do your employees have close access to clean, cold drinking water?
Has someone been designated to ensure water is available at all times and not running low, checking it several times throughout the day?
SHADE:
Is there shade or somewhere cool with air-conditioning available for your employees to take a break and recover as needed?
EMERGENCIES:
Does everyone know who to contact in the event of an emergency?
Are there trained first aiders readily available to administer first aid?
Are employees (especially contractor employees) able to explain their location if an ambulance is needed?
TRAINING & HEAT AWARENESS:
Do your employees know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness?
Are your employees able to acclimatise (become accustomed to higher temperatures)?
Can your employees follow proper precautions to prevent heat-related illness, such as keeping hydrated and taking breaks?
Are your employees aware that they should consistently rehydrate with water even if they aren’t thirsty?
Do your employees know how to help someone exhibiting symptoms?
DESIGNATED FIRST AID:
Do you have a designated employee at the worksite who is educated on heat stress and heat-related illness and who can schedule a work/rest timetable and monitor the broader team for symptoms?
Are your employees being adequately monitored in high heat index risk environments?
REMINDERS:
Remind your workers to drink water often.
Encourage employees to be aware of and report heat-related symptoms early.
Remind employees to take plenty of rest in the shade as necessary.
Ask workers to help monitor one another.
Additionally, Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, so it’s important to encourage your workers to wear sunscreen and a hat (provided it doesn’t interfere with PPE) if they’re out in the sun for prolonged periods so that they avoid getting burnt along with the aforementioned heat-related illnesses.
Keeping safe during the summer months is crucial to WHS, so to ensure your business is on top of these standards, use a managed system like Conserve to document your safety protocols and track the employees on site who are instrumental in monitoring hot work conditions.
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