Heat stress hazards can be minimized in the workplace with the right control measures, including:
- Installing safety signage
- Providing workers with temperature-taking tools
- Scheduling work rotations to prioritize safety
- Ensuring there is adequate water and cooling stations available
- Creating a heat-specific emergency action plan
- Training workers to recognize the signs of heat illness
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 3,300 heat illnesses and injuries every year that cause missed work time – and more than 30 workers die every year due to the heat. That’s a lot of lost productivity and potential liability for employers, and tragedy for workers.
Integrating the above practices on the jobsite will greatly improve heat safety in most workplaces. Here is a closer look at each of the preventative measures listed above and how implementing them can make a difference.
1) Installing Safety Signage
Occupational safety signage is a vital first layer of defense for hazardous workplaces, as it offers several advantages. Signage can be installed wherever the hazards are and can communicate in multiple languages, making it a cost effective and durable way to keep safety in the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Safety signage reminds workers to stay alert to the signs of heat illness. Signs remind workers to take in enough water and points out where cooling stations are located, and it reminds workers what to do in the event of an emergency.
Given its importance in heat safety and cost efficiency, safety signage is considered a must-have protective measure for any workplace that features heat hazards.
2) Providing Workers with Temperature-Tracking Tools
The first step in preventing heat illness is vigilance, and that means tracking the temperature as it changes throughout the day. This is something that workers can – and should – be trusted with. If workers in the field are most at risk of heat illness, it makes sense that they should have advance notice of potentially unsafe conditions.
An increasingly popular tool for employers is to equip their workers with easy-to-use, reliable liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs). LCTs are lightweight and compact enough that they can be integrated into TWIC cards. They provide a reliable temperature reading within seconds, so workers can respond and take appropriate safety measures as the heat reaches dangerous levels.
3) Scheduling Work Rotations to Prioritize Safety
If your organization can manage it, scheduling work rotations with heat hazards in mind can also reduce risk. This is especially important for new workers who may not be acclimated to elevated temperatures. It is highly recommended that new hires have a chance to slowly acclimate to full work intensity – including slowly ramping up exposure to elevated heat levels.
However, even experienced workers need additional breaks when heat hazards are present. When the forecast calls for hot weather, supervisors can be proactive in scheduling heat-safe work rotations, including shorter rotations or rotations that include less manual labor.
4) Ensuring There is Adequate Water and Cooling Areas Available
An essential control measure for hazardous workplaces is organizing cooling stations. These don’t have to be elaborate setups as some shade, a cooling fan and cold water is all that’s necessary. Ideally, these cooling stations are set up in areas with air conditioning, but anything that provides relief from the heat will reduce risk.
If heat stress hazards threaten your indoor workers, control measures include better indoor cooling and improved air circulation. This could be as simple as opening some windows or setting up cooling fans in areas where heat is regularly trapped.
5) Creating a Heat-Specific Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
EAPs are an essential planning document for workplaces with any hazards, but they can be developed for specific types of hazards in mind, including heat hazards.
If heat hazards are present on a jobsite, a heat-specific EAP will improve emergency readiness should heat illness strike. To ensure maximum readiness, heat-specific EAPs should include the following:
- A section detailing the location and nature of all heat hazards
- A section with an inventory and location of all heat emergency supplies
- A section detailing what actions workers should take in the event of an emergency
- Contact information for a nearby medical facility
- The names and contact information of anyone in charge of developing the EAP
Once your heat-specific EAP is complete and signed off on, it’s the responsibility of safety personnel to introduce the plan to workers and train them on proper procedures. Time is critical when heat illness occurs, so it’s important that your employees are ready to put the EAP into action instantly.
6) Training Workers to Recognize the Signs of Heat Illness
When heat illnesses do emerge, the first person to notice is almost always another worker. That means if your employees are trained to recognize heat illnesses, your organization will manage a better emergency response.
Signs of heat illness include the following:
- Weakness
- Loss of balance
- Slurred speech
- Irritability
- Heavy sweating or a complete lack of it
- Elevated body temperature
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke present with similar symptoms – but heat stroke presents with more severe symptoms that can quickly lead to a medical emergency. If your employees can catch heat illnesses before they progress to heat stroke, permanent (even fatal) injuries can be avoided.
Mitigate Heat Stress Hazards with the Right Control Measures
Heat stress puts workers, and your organization, at risk. Excessive heat poses a risk that’s invisible, silent and odorless – so awareness is key. Your organization can maintain that awareness with proven control measures including safety signage, LCTs, altered work schedules, cooling stations and safety training among them. These control measures are generally simple and inexpensive to implement, so there is no reason to ignore heat hazards and the dangers they pose.