Heat Awareness Tips

Construction worker in a hard hat stepping down from the cab of an excavator on a hot, clear day

Why Do Equipment Operators Need Heat Awareness Cards Too?

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Equipment operators often work inside air conditioned cabs, and compared to most people on a worksite, they are not usually exposed to the same heat-related risks. However, equipment operators need heat awareness cards, too, for several reasons. While it may seem like equipment operators are immune to heat concerns on the job, there are good reasons to make sure they have the tools they need to track temperature.

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Six Reasons Why Equipment Operators Need Heat Awareness Cards Too

Heat awareness cards provide up to the moment information about ambient temperatures and, by extension, thermal risks. This information is important for everyone on your worksite, including your equipment operators. Here are six reasons why they should carry heat awareness cards as well.

Equipment operators transition in and out of the cab frequently

Equipment operators have to jump in and out of their cab often, either to reposition their equipment, perform safety and maintenance checks, consult with other onsite workers or refuel. Every time your equipment operators climb out of their cab, they are exposed to the same heat hazards that the rest of your onsite workers contend with. If they have heat awareness cards on them, they will be able to track those heat hazards as they get in and out of their cab.

Moving from a climate-controlled environment to a hot one can shock the system

HATS-20 Heat Aware Card with temperature scale and work and rest fluid intake backerWhile equipment operators may be protected by their air conditioned cab, working in a climate-controlled space also affects their ability to tolerate heat. As they move from inside their cab to the outside environment, the sudden increase in temperature can shock their system and increase the risk of dehydration or heat exhaustion. A heat awareness card lets an operator check the temperature every time they step down from the cab, instead of guessing.

This is where the card’s response time matters. According to the Heat Aware product FAQ, the card’s liquid crystal registers the temperature within a degree when it is used and viewed properly, and it reregisters every 20 seconds, which Heat Aware notes is important when moving from one area to another with a significant temperature change. That is the exact situation an operator is in every time the cab door opens.

Elevated heat stress impacts decision making and reaction time

If one of your equipment operators is compromised by heat illness, it will affect their ability to do their job safely. Heat exhaustion reduces reaction speed and decision making, which is particularly risky when in charge of heavy equipment. If one of your equipment operators is affected by heat stress, it is a danger for them and for any nearby workers.

Equipment operators have a wider view of the job site

Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS-20A | The signs, symptoms and treatment of heat illnessesEquipment operators typically have an expanded view of the worksite, as they are largely stationary and are situated off the ground. From this position, equipment operators can see if a worker is experiencing heat stress and respond faster than people on the ground.

With a heat awareness card, your equipment operators will know when heat risks are elevated and can begin looking out for their fellow workers. The HATS-20A version of the HATS-20 Heat Aware Card carries the signs, symptoms and treatment of heat illnesses on its backer, so the operator has the warning signs in hand while watching the crew.

Heavy equipment generates additional heat and elevates thermal risks

Heavy equipment creates additional heat that must be accounted for when assessing the risk of heat illness on the jobsite. Engines, hydraulic systems and metal surfaces are hotspots that can make it tougher on any workers nearby. With a heat awareness card, equipment operators can read the temperature near the machine and see whether that additional thermal energy has pushed conditions into a higher risk range. Remember that the card reads air temperature, not humidity, so pair it with a heat index chart when the air is humid.

Cab cooling systems can fail and spike heat risks

Even if your equipment operators spend much of their time in a climate-controlled cab, cooling systems can always fail. Clogged filters and poor ventilation are two reasons why climate control may be taken temporarily offline. No matter the reason, a heat awareness card in the cab tells the operator that conditions have changed, so they can take a break in a cool area, drink water and report the problem before heat stress builds.

How Do Heat Awareness Cards Provide Better Safety on Jobsites?

Heat Aware Cards are TWIC-sized, so they fit with the other cards a worker already carries, and the HATSC-30 custom card can be printed with your company’s logo and safety information. They are made with integrated liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs) that provide a rapid, accurate temperature reading. The cards are made of laminated PVC and are waterproof, according to Heat Aware, and because they are light and compact, they can be kept in a breast pocket, worn on a lanyard or kept in the cab where the operator can see them. Compared to other temperature tracking tools, heat awareness cards are inexpensive, simple to use and easy to hand out to an entire crew.

A card works best as part of a plan. Tie the temperature an operator reads to a specific response, such as more frequent breaks or a stop to cool down, and write those responses into your heat illness prevention program so everyone on the site follows the same rules.

Keep Equipment Operators and Their Coworkers Heat Aware

It may seem like the last person onsite who needs heat awareness is an equipment operator, but there are several reasons why that is not the case. Cooling systems can fail, operators have to exit their cab frequently and sudden exposure to intense heat can cause heat risks to spike, even without prolonged exposure.

The best defense against heat illness is information. Heat awareness cards provide this information in a simple, inexpensive format that helps your equipment operators know what to expect regarding heat risks. For more on how the cards are used across a crew, read Can a Heat Safety Card Save a Life?

Browse the HATS-20 Heat Aware Card, the HATS40 card with label and the HATSC-30 custom card, or see everything in the Heat Aware shop. For pricing, availability, volume and custom or branded orders, email Bryan Slaven at bryan@heataware.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do equipment operators in air conditioned cabs need heat stress training?

Yes. Operators climb out of the cab to refuel, run safety and maintenance checks and talk with the crew, and each time they step into the same heat as everyone else on the site. The sudden change from a cooled cab to outdoor heat is a risk of its own, so operators belong in the same heat awareness training and procedures as the rest of the crew.

Does a Heat Aware Card read body temperature?

No. According to Heat Aware, the card registers ambient temperature, the temperature of the surrounding area, not the body temperature of the person carrying it.

How quickly does the card update when an operator leaves the cab?

Heat Aware states that the card’s liquid crystal registers the temperature within a degree when properly used and viewed, and that it reregisters every 20 seconds. That matters when moving between areas with a large temperature difference, such as a cooled cab and an open jobsite.

What should an operator do if the cab’s air conditioning fails?

Treat the cab as a hot work area until the cooling is fixed. The operator should take breaks in a cool area, drink water, report the failure and watch for early signs of heat illness, following your written heat illness prevention program.

Can heat awareness cards carry our company branding?

Yes. Heat Aware offers the HATSC-30 Custom TWIC-sized card, which can be printed with your corporate logo, colors and information specific to your health, safety and environment group. Contact bryan@heataware.com for custom and branded orders.

A work crew in hard hats and high visibility vests gathered in a circle for a pre-shift heat stress toolbox talk at an industrial site

How to Run a Heat Stress Toolbox Talk

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Heat illness does not announce itself. A worker who is sliding toward heat exhaustion usually looks like a worker having a hard morning, and the people best placed to notice are the ones standing next to him. That is what a toolbox talk is for. Ten minutes before the shift, in the language the crew actually uses, aimed at the one thing you want them to do differently today.

This is a heat stress toolbox talk you can deliver without preparation, plus the questions that come back at you and how to answer them. Awareness is the control that prevents heat illness, and a talk is how awareness gets installed in a crew rather than filed in a binder.

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What to settle before you open your mouth

Read the day first. A toolbox talk that ignores the conditions in front of the crew gets tuned out in the first sentence, and rightly so. Before the talk, know three numbers and one fact.

The three numbers are the forecast high, the humidity, and the heat index the two of them produce together. Humidity is the number crews underestimate. Ninety five degrees in dry air and ninety five degrees at seventy percent relative humidity are not the same shift, because sweat that cannot evaporate does not cool anybody. The one fact is who on the crew is new, back from vacation, back from sick leave, or working in heavier gear than usual. Those are the people most likely to go down, and they are the reason to give the talk at all rather than skip it because the crew has heard it before.

Then pick one behavior. Not five. A talk that asks for five changes gets none of them. Today it might be drinking before the break rather than at it, or it might be that nobody works a hot task alone. Choose it before you start so the talk has somewhere to land.

The ten minute talk, in order

Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS-20A | The signs, symptoms and treatment of heat illnessesMinute one, the conditions. Say the heat index out loud and say what it means for today’s work. “It is going to feel like a hundred and four by two o’clock, and we are on the south side of the building all afternoon.” Concrete beats general.

Minutes two to four, the signs. Go through what heat illness looks like from the outside, because that is the version a crew can act on. Heavy sweating that stops. Skin that goes clammy, or goes dry and hot. Cramping. A headache. Nausea. Somebody getting quiet, getting clumsy, repeating himself, or getting short tempered for no reason. Confusion and a stumble are late signs, not early ones, and a worker who has reached them needs help immediately rather than a break. The HATS-20 Heat Aware Card carries this list on the back, which is why handing one out beats reading it from a page.

Minutes five to seven, the controls. Water, rest, shade, in that order, and be specific about all three. Where the water is. When the breaks are. Where the shade actually is on this site today, not where it was last week. If you have a heat stress management system sign in the cool down area, point at it and tell them what the thermometer and the humidity reading on it are for.

Minutes eight and nine, the one behavior. Ask for it plainly, explain why it is today’s ask, and say what it looks like done right. Then ask somebody to repeat it back. A talk where nobody speaks is a talk nobody remembers.

Minute ten, the escalation. Who to tell, how, and what happens next. If a worker is confused, stumbling, or cannot be cooled down, that is an emergency call, not a supervisor conversation. Say the words “call nine one one” rather than leaving it implied.

Teaching the buddy check so it survives contact with the job

Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS40 | Avoid heat-related illnesses for workersMost heat programs contain a buddy system. Most buddy systems quietly stop happening by the second week of August, because “keep an eye on each other” is not an instruction anybody can follow while running a saw.

Make it mechanical instead. Name the pairs out loud at the talk. Give the check a trigger, so it happens at a moment rather than continuously: at every water break, ask your partner one question and look at him while he answers. Give them the question. “How are you doing” gets “fine” from everybody. “What did you have to drink on the last break” gets an answer you can judge, and so does asking a man to repeat the task sequence back.

New and returning workers get a different pairing

Acclimatization is the control most often missing from a program. A worker who has not been in the heat for a week has lost some of the adaptation he built, and the first days back are the dangerous ones. Pair new and returning people with someone experienced, keep their first days shorter and lighter, and say at the talk that this is deliberate rather than a favor. Working in dangerous heat you are not accustomed to is its own hazard and worth treating as one.

Props beat handouts

A handout gets folded into a pocket and washed. Something a worker carries or wears stays in the work.

Cards. A Heat Aware Card is TWIC-sized, so it goes in a wallet or behind a badge and comes back out at the next talk. The HATS40 card carries a work and rest reference on the back, which turns “take more breaks” into a specific answer.

Hard hat decals. Hard hat stickers for heat stress awareness put the message where a crew sees it a hundred times a shift without anybody having to say it again. The HADH decal reads Stay Hydrated and the HADS decal reads Drink Early, Drink Often. Heat Aware prints them with UV inks on weatherproof vinyl.

Heat Aware HSMS-01 heat stress management system sign with a thermometer and humidity reading for the cool down areaThe sign in the cool down area. A sign with a thermometer and a hygrometer on it makes the day’s conditions a shared fact instead of an argument. It has to hang in the shade to read accurately, which is worth saying at the talk, because a sign in the sun reads high and teaches the crew to distrust it.

Three talks that did not work, and what was wrong with them

Most heat talks fail in one of a few predictable ways, and each has a specific fix.

The talk that was a policy reading. A supervisor reads the heat section of the safety manual out loud, start to finish, in the same words every week. It covers everything, which is the problem: nothing in it is about today, so there is nothing for a worker to act on. The fix is to cut it to one behavior and attach it to the conditions in front of the crew.

The talk nobody could act on. A crew is told to take breaks as needed and to stay hydrated. Both are true and neither is an instruction. As needed means whatever the busiest man on the crew decides, which in practice means later than it should be. The fix is to name the thing: where the water is, when the breaks are, what counts as a drink, and who decides when the schedule changes.

The talk that was delivered to the wrong people. Everything goes to the crew and nothing goes to the supervisors. But recognizing heat illness in somebody else, and having the authority to stop work, are supervisor jobs. A crew that has been told to speak up and a supervisor who has not been told to listen produces the worst outcome of all, which is a worker who said something and was waved off. Run a version of the talk for the people who make the call, and tell the crew you have done it.

How often to run it, and how to keep it from going stale

Weekly through the hot season is a reasonable floor, daily when the heat index climbs into the range where your program calls for extra breaks, and again whenever the crew changes or the work moves to a hotter part of the site. The talk that matters most is the one on the first genuinely hot day of the year, before anybody has acclimatized.

Staleness is the real risk, and rotating one thing prevents it. One week the talk is the signs. The next it is hydration and what actually counts as a drink. The next it is a walk of the site to find where the shade and water will be. Ask a different person each week to say one thing he saw last week. A talk that only ever comes out of the supervisor’s mouth stops being heard in about a month.

What to write down afterward

Keep the record short enough that it actually gets kept. The date, the conditions, who attended, the one behavior you asked for, and anything a worker raised. Two lines and a signature sheet is plenty.

The reason to keep it is not paperwork. It is that a pattern only becomes visible in writing. Three weeks of notes saying the water station is too far from the work face is a site layout problem, and nobody would have spotted it from three separate conversations. Under the General Duty Clause an employer is responsible for recognized hazards in the workplace, and heat is one; OSHA has no heat-specific standard of its own. A record of what you told the crew, and what you changed when they told you something back, is the honest evidence that the hazard was being managed.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a heat stress toolbox talk be?

Ten minutes is enough, and shorter is better than longer. A talk that runs past about fifteen minutes stops being absorbed. Cover the day’s conditions, what heat illness looks like from the outside, where water, rest and shade are, one behavior you want changed today, and who to call in an emergency.

What should the crew be able to do after the talk?

Three things. Name two or three outside signs of heat illness in a coworker, say where water and shade are on this site today, and say who they call and how if somebody is confused or cannot be cooled down. If they can do those three, the talk worked.

How often should we hold one during the summer?

Weekly through the hot season as a floor, daily when the heat index reaches the range where your program calls for extra breaks, and again whenever the crew changes or the work moves to a hotter area. The first genuinely hot day of the year is the most important one, because nobody is acclimatized yet.

Do we need a written heat program to run toolbox talks?

No. You can start talking to the crew this week. A written program is what makes the talks consistent between supervisors and between sites, and it is what tells everybody the same thing about break schedules, water, acclimatization and escalation, so the two work together rather than one replacing the other.

For pricing, availability, volume and custom or branded orders, email bryan@heataware.com or call Heat Aware at 713-228-9331.

Construction worker in an orange safety vest wiping sweat from his forehead beside an excavator at a hot worksite

Can a Heat Safety Card Save a Life?

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Heat exhaustion is potentially fatal at the worksite, as it can progress to heat stroke if it is not recognized and treated right away. The goal for safety personnel is to make sure workers are protected from heat dangers, and a heat safety card is a practical tool for keeping that protection in the worker’s hand.

There are several heat safety measures employers can take to reduce the risk of dehydration and, by extension, heat illnesses like heat exhaustion. One of those measures is equipping workers with TWIC-sized heat cards, printed in the same credential size many industrial sites already issue, and capable of tracking ambient temperature.

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How Do Heat Safety Cards Keep Workers Safe from Heat Stress?

If heat is a potential hazard at your worksite, you are required to protect workers under OSHA’s General Duty Clause. Standard heat safety measures include developing a heat safety and emergency plan, setting up water break stations, monitoring worker health, and adjusting work rotations when conditions are dangerously hot.

In addition to those measures, employers can equip workers directly by supplying them with heat safety cards. Here is what these cards offer:

  • Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS40 | Avoid heat-related illnesses for workersLiquid crystal thermometer (LCT) technology – Liquid crystal thermometers provide a rapid, accurate temperature reading. They can be built into a TWIC-sized card, so workers always have a temperature-taking tool on hand. The best defense against dehydration and heat exhaustion is information, and an LCT card gives your field personnel direct insight into heat levels where they are standing.
  • Critical heat safety information – Your heat safety cards can be printed with other reference details, like hydration guidelines, the warning signs of heat illness, or onsite emergency contact information.
  • Additional branding opportunities – Cards can also carry your company’s brand marks, which reinforces your organization’s commitment to safety every time a worker looks at one.
  • A lightweight, usable safety tool – Heat safety cards are extremely light and compact, and they fit an existing badge holder or lanyard. They are also simple to use, so they deliver consistent value to safety initiatives.
  • A cost-effective safety tool – Heat safety cards are inexpensive to produce at volume and can be laminated for added durability. That makes it easy to outfit an entire crew rather than a handful of supervisors.

Heat illness is preventable when it is recognized early and acted on. A card does not do that work by itself. What it does is put the temperature and the warning signs in a worker’s hand at the moment those things matter, which is what makes early recognition and a fast response possible. For a modest investment, many employers find it is worth outfitting their workers with that awareness. Our breakdown of how these cards add value goes deeper on the cost side.

How Do Heat Safety Cards Help Workers Recognize Dehydration and Heat Exhaustion?

Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS-20A | The signs, symptoms and treatment of heat illnessesHeat safety cards are meant to be worn on a lanyard or carried in a pocket for easy reference when temperatures climb. They act as a reminder of the signs to look for and what to do when heat illness emerges, and nothing matters more than recognizing what is happening and taking immediate steps. That means knowing the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Signs of Dehydration

  • Persistent thirst
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness and loss of coordination
  • Confusion
  • Loss of skin turgor, where skin does not return to its original position after being pulled

Dehydration is a primary risk factor for heat illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Conversely, regular hydration is one of the strongest protective measures available. If your personnel are not adequately hydrated, it can lead to heat exhaustion, which presents with the following symptoms.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion

  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Headache
  • Elevated body temperature

Dehydration and heat exhaustion present with similar signs, so it is not always clear which one is causing symptoms. Both are treated in similar fashion: move the worker to a cool, shaded area, give them water, and use any available resources to lower body temperature, including cool packs and wet cloths. It is also important to seek medical treatment during or following a bout of heat illness, because it can escalate quickly and cause long term complications or even death. Training your crew to recognize heat stress on the jobsite is what turns a card into a response.

Prioritize Heat Safety with Better Tools and Better Safety Procedures

Heat is invisible, odorless, and can intensify gradually without notice, so it can produce an emergency quickly. That is why it is important for employers to establish a heat safety plan ahead of time. A plan should include:

  • Identifying any potential heat hazards at the worksite
  • Acquiring and inventorying heat safety resources, including heat safety cards, cold packs, and electrolyte tablets
  • Monitoring worksite conditions for changes in temperature
  • Altering work schedules or switching to light duty
  • Recording contact information for a nearby medical facility

Heat Aware's Heat Cards | HATSC-30: The Custom Twic Sized Card | Keep workers safe from a heat-related illnessEmployers who combine these measures give their workers the best available protection against heat risks. If you are responsible for safeguarding worker health onsite, heat safety cards and the procedures around them are a straightforward place to start. Our guidance on building a heat safety plan covers the emergency action plan side in more detail.

Heat Aware Cards are available in standard, labeled, and fully custom versions in our online shop. For pricing, availability, volume orders, or a card branded for your company, contact Bryan Slaven at bryan@heataware.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a heat safety card?

A heat safety card is a durable reference card printed in the same TWIC credential size that many industrial sites already issue, so it fits an existing badge holder or lanyard. It carries heat safety information such as warning signs and hydration guidance, and some versions include an integrated liquid crystal thermometer for reading ambient temperature. It is not a TWIC credential and does not serve any identification or access purpose.

What is a liquid crystal thermometer?

A liquid crystal thermometer, or LCT, is a simple temperature-taking tool that provides a rapid, accurate reading. LCTs use thermochromic liquid crystals that change color as temperature changes, and they can be encapsulated and scaled down to fit inside a TWIC-sized card, which gives workers temperature monitoring wherever they are working.

Who can benefit from carrying a heat safety card?

Anyone who works where heat hazards are present. Construction and maintenance crews are the most common examples, and workers in manufacturing, refineries, bakeries, industrial settings, and commercial kitchens face the same exposure. Athletic programs use them as well, since heat illness risk on a practice field follows the same pattern as it does on a jobsite.

Can a heat safety card be branded for our company?

Yes. Cards can be printed with your company’s brand marks along with the reference information your crews need, such as onsite emergency contacts or your own heat response thresholds. Contact Bryan Slaven at bryan@heataware.com to discuss a custom or branded card for your operation.

Heat Related Illness Prevention: Eight Essential Tips to Staying Safe in the Heat

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When the weather warms up, the chances of heat related illness go up, and prevention becomes key for employers. Here are 8 essential tips to keep your workers safe in the heat:

  1. Train workers to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness
  2. Provide workers with specialized tools, like liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs)
  3. Post safety reminders (like occupational signage) to improve heat safety compliance
  4. Provide easy access to hydration stations and cold water
  5. Know who is at elevated risk of heat related illness
  6. Consider lighter work rotations when temperatures rise
  7. Have an emergency action in place for when heat illness does emerge
  8. Keep an inventory of emergency supplies for heat emergencies

Heat is a constant threat to workers exposed to outdoor summer conditions – or workers exposed to heat sources inside. In both cases, the above tips will protect people from serious, potentially fatal injury.

Training Workers to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illness

The first step to preventing heat illness is knowing what it looks like. And in the majority of cases, this means heat exhaustion or its more dangerous cousin – heat stroke.

Both generally present the same way, except heat stroke is a true medical emergency. Relevant signs and symptoms include:

  • Excessive sweating, or a complete lack of it
  • Confusion and slurred speech
  • Loss of balance
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • A rapid or weak pulse
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of consciousness

If any of the above signs are present with any of your workers, coworkers and safety personnel should be ready to respond appropriately.

Providing Workers with the Right Tools, Like Liquid Crystal Thermometers (LCTs)

Ideally, your workers will know exactly when they are dealing with risky conditions – and to do that, they need to have the right tools on hand. And in the case of thermal risks, this means temperature-taking tools like liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs).

LCTs are compact and lightweight – to the point where they can be integrated into TWIC employee cards. They provide an accurate reading within seconds and are extremely cost effective – especially when manufactured en masse. Pass out the heat aware cards to your workers so they can keep a close eye on potentially hazardous conditions.

Posting Safety Reminders Like Occupational Signage to Improve Safety Compliance

Heat safety is workplace safety, and workplace safety must be constantly reinforced to ensure everyone is ready. A simple, proven way to do this is to install safety signage in areas where hazards are present. For heat hazards, this means installing safety signage close to any heat sources (like ovens or furnaces).

When heat is ubiquitous and impossible to contain, occupational signage can be used to remind workers to hydrate, point out essential safety resources (including safety wear) and other essential worksite safety procedures. This can keep your employees in an essential state of readiness.

Providing Easy Access to Hydration Stations and Cold Water

Frequent hydration is essential to preventing heat related illness, and that’s the employer’s responsibility to provide. Hydration stations should include cold, clean water that’s refilled as needed. And to improve cooling further, it’s a good idea to locate hydration stations in shaded areas with circulating air.

Make sure workers are given frequent breaks to rehydrate and increase this frequency further when temperatures rise to threatening levels.

Identifying Workers Who are at an Elevated Risk of Heat Related Illness

Some employees are at a greater risk of heat illness than others. This includes older workers, workers who haven’t acclimated to the heat, workers in poor overall health, and workers with certain chronic conditions. It’s important for the company’s safety personnel to identify who is at an elevated risk of heat related illness and monitor them closely when heat risks are elevated. For example, onsite medical personnel can take regular vital readings to identify the early signs of emerging heat illness. These readings can be taken more often for high-risk personnel.

Switching to Lighter Work Rotations When the Higher Temperatures Arrive

Work rotations can be changed up when heat risks are elevated, allowing for production to continue without putting any one employee at additional risk. Lighter work rotations, or work rotations away from sun or heat exposure can help workers cool down faster while remaining busy. Adjusting work rotations is also a good idea when high risk personnel are on site and need to be shielded from extreme heat.

Having an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for When Heat Illness Does Strike

An emergency action plan (EAP) is a formal response plan that companies put together for certain emergency situations. Some organizations use this approach to develop a heat-specific EAP that’s intended for heat related illnesses only. If your worksite has to contend with heat hazards, then a heat-specific EAP makes sense.

Heat-specific EAPs should include an inventory of all heat emergency supplies and their location. It should also include the company’s emergency response procedures, as well as the contact information for a nearby medical facility, and who to contact in the event of an emergency.

Once the organization creates an EAP, the next step is to train personnel on its details to ensure emergency preparedness.

Keeping an Inventory of Emergency Supplies on Hand for Severe Heat Illness

The goal with heat illness is prevention, as heat illnesses are 100 percent preventable. However, it’s essential for employers to keep potentially life-saving emergency supplies on hand should heat illness emerge. This includes cool packs, electrolyte replacement tabs and other rapid rehydration and cooling supplies. Your organization’s EAP should make a note of these supplies and their location, and your workers should be trained on their use.

These Heat Related Illness Prevention Tips Can Make the Difference for Your Employees

Heat exhaustion, heat stroke and other heat related illnesses can leave workers with permanent complications, and even fatal injury. Since heat is everywhere and invisible, it tends to sneak up on vulnerable people, like those laboring outdoors or in heavy duty industries.

Heat is insidious and dangerous, but the above prevention tips will ensure your worksites have it under control and are prepared if heat does cause a medical emergency.

Workplace Heat Safety Tips: Protecting Employees from Heat-Related Hazards

Heat Aware , ,

If your worksites operate furnaces or commercial ovens, then heat safety is a priority for worker safety and regulatory compliance.

To ensure adequate workplace heat protection, the following safety tips are recommended:

  • Understanding the importance of workplace heat safety
  • Recognizing the signs of heat illness
  • Identifying potential heat hazards
  • Establishing a heat safety program
  • Providing adequate ventilation and air conditioning
  • Providing training on proper use of personal protective equipment
  • Implementing work and rest schedules/cycles
  • Providing access to cool water and water breaks
  • Training employees on all heat safety guidelines
  • Updating all heat safety measures as needed

Together, these heat safety procedures and tips will provide additional protection for your workers and additional protection for your jobsite in the form of better regulatory compliance.

A Closer Look at Important Workplace Heat Safety Tips

Workplace heat safety is a team effort and requires a comprehensive approach, as heat is invisible and odorless. That approach should include the following:

  • Understanding the importance of workplace heat safety – Heat safety isn’t just an employer’s responsibility, it’s the right thing to do. Every year, heat illnesses affect thousands of workers and cause serious, sometimes permanent or fatal injury.
    The first step for employers is to reinforce the importance of heat safety at every level of the company, including upper management. Safety culture is reflected by company leadership and all the way down to the individual workers who are most at risk of heat injury.
    An easy and inexpensive way to prioritize heat safety is to invest in heat stress management signs, as these remind workers of essential heat safety guidelines and encourage caution. They are also available in bilingual versions to support a bilingual workforce. Heat aware cards also reinforce heat safety awareness and provide workers with up-to-the-moment information on temperature and heat stress conditions.
  • Recognizing the signs of heat illness – Heat illnesses tend to emerge suddenly and progress quickly, so it’s essential that everyone on your worksites recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness.
    Heat exhaustion and heat stroke present with confusion, slurred speech, excessive sweating, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness. When any of these signs are present, it’s up to other workers and supervisors to notice and respond appropriately.
  • Identifying potential heat hazards – Heat safety plans are the guiding document when improving worker protections, and the first step in any workplace heat safety plan is identifying the worksite’s heat hazards. For exterior worksites, pay attention to where sun and shade are present throughout the day. For interior worksites, furnaces, ovens, foundries and any areas with limited air circulation are high heat-risk locations. Safety and heat stress management signage should be installed in these areas.
  • Establishing a heat safety program – Occupational safety plans are the primary safety guidance documents for worksites. However, for worksites with significant heat hazards, it makes sense to take the safety plan a step further and put together a heat-specific safety plan. Heat safety planning should include a list of all heat hazards identified on the site, the safety measures in place to mitigate them, and emergency procedures that should be followed if severe heat illnesses emerge. Once a heat safety plan is put together, managers should immediately implement all safety and training measures.
  • Providing adequate ventilation and air conditioning – Circulating air will reduce the impact of heat and should be present at all cooling stations. Inside, air conditions and air moving fans are recommended. Outside, position cooling stations in areas where air is moving, or install fans inside a tent to facilitate cooling.
  • Providing training on proper use of personal protective equipment – Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a critical layer of protection around chemical, electrical or fire hazards. However, they can cause overheating if worn too long or not worn properly. Heat safety training should include proper use of PPE to ensure it doesn’t result in heat illness.
  • Implementing work and rest cycles – When heat risks are elevated, like during peak daytime temperatures, many employers switch to alternate work rotations where workers spend less time at high-stress, high heat-risk stations and have additional time to rest – or at least have more time at light-duty workstations.
  • Providing access to cool water and water breaks – Regular hydration is a frontline defense against heat stress and should be consumed regularly during periods of elevated heat risk. Employers should ensure all cooling stations have access to cold water that’s replenished as needed.
  • Training employees on all heat safety guidelines – Once your organization has its workplace heat safety measures in place, including a heat safety plan, it’s time to train supervisors and employees on the plan. Training drills and unscheduled inspections will send the message to everyone that the company takes heat safety seriously.
  • Updating all heat safety measures as needed – Your company’s heat safety procedures should be updated and improved upon as potential vulnerabilities emerge in your safety plan. Review your heat safety measures prior to the hot season to ensure your organization is ready to deal with heat stresses. If heat hazards are present year-round, review your safety procedures semi-annually to verify emergency response readiness.

Implementing Workplace Heat Safety Tips Will Provide Protection for Employees

Heat is a difficult hazard to avoid, and it can become intense before anyone takes notice. Fortunately, heat is something that employers can prepare for with proper planning and procedures in place. For the sake of ensuring regulatory compliance and for your workers’ safety, consider implementing these heat safety tips on your worksites.

How to Deal with Dangerous Heat When You are Not Accustomed to It

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Many serious workplace heat injuries occur in those who aren’t accustomed to dangerous levels of heat. As such, these people need extra protection as they adjust to elevated temperatures. Employers and workers can ensure this adjustment period is a smooth one by doing the following:

  • Understanding the dangers of heat stroke
  • Recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness
  • Hydrating properly
  • Dressing appropriately for environmental conditions
  • Taking breaks in shaded cooling areas
  • Using cooling products or gear
  • Adjusting work schedules to avoid peak heat hours
  • Creating a heat-specific safety plan
  • Allowing workers to acclimate to work conditions

Each of the points above are vital in keeping people safe when the heat is relentless.

1) Understanding the Dangers of Heat Stroke

People unaccustomed to dangerous heat may not realize the risks of working in high heat environments. Before new hires begin work in high-risk conditions, everyone should be warned about heat stroke and its potential to cause fatal injury. Most people know that extreme temperatures can kill, but they may not know that heat stroke can emerge within 10 minutes, or that it may emerge slowly over several hot days. New workers may not know that heat stroke can cause permanent disability in people who recover from it, so avoiding heat illness is paramount.

Employers should also consider outfitting new workers with temperature-monitoring tools like liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs), which can be integrated into employee TWIC cards.

2) Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illness

If employees and managers on the jobsite know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, they will respond faster to a developing emergency.

Heat exhaustion symptoms include:

  • Rapid, weak pulse
  • Heavy sweating
  • Muscle cramps
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Headache
  • Elevated body temperature

Heat stroke symptoms are similar to those of heat exhaustion, but they are more severe and potentially deadly. They include:

  • Lack of sweating
  • Body temperature in excess of 103 degrees
  • Profound confusion
  • Slurred speech
  • Loss of consciousness

Heat exhaustion can be treated onsite if it’s promptly addressed. However, heat stroke is a medical emergency that demands immediate attention.

3) Hydrating Properly

Proper hydration is key in the fight against dangerous heat. When working in elevated temperatures, the rule of thumb is eight ounces of water (1 cup) every 15 to 20 minutes. Paradoxically, acclimated workers need additional water to hydrate, as they sweat more effectively (heavily).

It is better to drink smaller amounts of water more often, compared to large amounts infrequently. Avoid drinks that pull water out of your tissues, such as alcohol and caffeinated drinks. Foods with high water content (fruits, for example) can also provide hydration.

4) Dressing Appropriately for Environmental Conditions

Heavy clothing will trap heat and increase body temperature. If workers don’t require protective wear, then light, breathable fabrics are recommended.

In hazardous work settings where protective wear is necessary, shortening work rotations will ensure people have enough time to cool down between high-intensity bouts of activity.

5) Taking Breaks in Shaded Cooling Areas

When high risk temperatures are present, supervisors should implement more frequent breaks to keep workers safe. If possible, a cooling station should be provided to workers – one that’s shaded and outfitted with a fan or air conditioning. If someone develops heat exhaustion or heat stroke, they should be relocated to a cooling station for frontline treatment.

6) Using Cooling Products or Gear

There are numerous cooling products that are cost effective and work well. Cooling vests and shirts, for example, use stored water to keep workers cool. Neck wraps are another popular option that can be dipped in water and worn around the neck to quickly cool workers. Neck shades and sun shields can keep the direct sun off workers and help prevent heat exhaustion.

7) Adjusting Work Schedules to Avoid Peak Heat Hours

If the weather forecast suggests extreme heat is on the way, consider reorganizing work shifts so that the heavier work is reserved for off-peak heat hours. When temperatures climb, supervisors should seek to lower exertion levels. This is also an opportunity for managers to schedule higher-risk workers (older workers, those with chronic health conditions, etc.) for shifts when temperatures aren’t as threatening.

8) Creating a Heat-Specific Safety Plan

A worksite safety and emergency action plan are valuable safety resources, and they can be developed specifically to target heat hazards. If your worksite needs a heat-specific safety plan, this is what it should include:

  • A section identifying all worksite heat hazards and their locations
  • An inventory of all heat safety resources and their locations
  • A section detailing all heat safety measures, such as monitoring worker vitals
  • A section detailing emergency response procedures, in the event of a heat injury (including contact information for a nearby medical facility)
  • A section that names the people responsible for enforcing the plan, as well as their contact information

Once your heat safety plan is in place, it’s imperative that workers and managers, including top management, are properly trained in the protocols.

9) Allowing Workers to Acclimate to Work Conditions

Most serious and fatal heat injuries occur in workers who are new on the job. It takes time for the human body to adjust to elevated temperatures, but it can adjust fairly well if given adequate time. When acclimating new workers to the job, the goal is to slowly get them accustomed to elevated levels of heat. Here’s the best approach to acclimation:

  • Gradually increase work intensity over 1-2 weeks
  • Eventually increase work intensity to actual expected work intensity (the body will only acclimate to the level of exertion it experiences)
  • Hydrate and cool completely between work rotations
  • Do not push workers to heat exhaustion – this will reduce heat tolerance
  • Acclimation periods should last at least two hours

Once workers are acclimated, they will require more fluid to stay hydrated, but will tolerate higher levels of exertion.

The Above Measures Can Help Those Who Aren’t Accustomed to Dangerous Heat

There are many simple steps that businesses can take to protect their workers from dangerous heat. It starts with knowledge and vigilance, and includes outfitting your workers with heat safety resources, adding cooling breaks, adjusting work schedules, creating a heat safety plan and more. Together, these measures will safeguard your workers from dangerous heat, especially if they aren’t accustomed to it.

Heat Stress: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention Tips

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Heat stress can be a deadly threat to workers – and it can be caused by several types of heat sources, including:

  • Environmental heat from the sun or excess humidity
  • Exertion – the more intense the exertion, the greater the heat risk
  • Heat trapped inside heavy or non-breathable work clothing
  • Additional heat sources, like ovens or furnaces

Certain health conditions can predispose workers to the dangers of heat stress, but even completely healthy people can be severely harmed by the heat. As such, it’s up to employers and workers to respond to thermal risks and put measures in place to avoid heat-related illness and injury.

What are the Symptoms of Heat Stress and Heat Illness?

When heat stress is intense enough to cause symptoms, the resulting condition is termed heat illness. Two of the most common and concerning forms of heat illness are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are the symptoms and potential complications of each:

  • Heat exhaustion – Heat exhaustion is the precursor to heat stroke and merits an immediate medical response from onsite personnel. If untreated, heat exhaustion will progress to potentially deadly forms of heat illness. Common signs of heat exhaustion include headaches, dizziness, heavy sweating, elevated body temperature, nausea or vomiting, and muscle cramps or spasms. Confusion may also be present.
  • Heat stroke – Heat stroke is a medical emergency and typically occurs when heat stress goes unchecked for too long. Heat exhaustion may progress to heat stroke suddenly, transitioning from a preventable injury to a potentially life-threatening condition.
    Heat stroke is characterized by dangerously high body temperatures, profuse sweating or a complete lack of it (the body’s attempt to retain water), profound confusion and loss of coordination, slurred speech, mood changes, severe migraine-like headaches and loss of consciousness.

In addition to the above, heat stress may manifest as lower risk heat illnesses such as heat rash or heat cramps. Responding to those mild forms of heat stress is the first step in reducing heat injuries.

Heat Stress Prevention Tips

The best way to handle heat risks is to minimize them from the outset. Failing that, it’s critical that your personnel (including top management) knows how to respond to developing heat-related emergencies. Here are some steps every employer can take to improve their company’s heat safety:

  • Identify all potential heat hazards – If you don’t know where the heat hazards are, you can’t protect workers (or yourself) from them. Survey the worksite and determine where heat stress is most likely to emerge. Take temperature readings several times a day over several days to confirm this, as thermal pockets can appear anywhere, including interior spaces.
  • Create a heat-specific safety plan – The general recommendation for businesses is to invest in safety planning, and the tools that keep a plan present on the job are what a heat stress management system includes. If heat hazards are present at your facilities or worksites, a heat-specific safety plan is also recommended. Include all implementable safety measures and who is responsible for implementing them. Putting a plan in place improves emergency readiness if your employees are trained on the steps to take.
  • Prioritize medical monitoring – Some people are far more predisposed to heat stress risks than others. People with heart disease and people taking diuretics, anticholinergics or antidepressants are two examples of heat-susceptible workers. If these risk factors are identified in workers early, steps can be taken to mitigate them, like extending the acclimation period or scheduling work rotations away from the worst heat risks.
  • Provide essential heat safety resources – Heat stress can be managed with the right onsite materials and resources. For example, neck wraps are a low-cost accessory that workers can use to keep themselves cool.
    Another helpful option is liquid crystal thermometers (LCTs) that workers can easily carry around. LCTs are so light that they can be embedded into ID badges or TWIC cards. They provide an accurate temperature reading within moments and can give workers advance notice of elevated heat risks.
  • Prioritize safety training and leadership – Safety planning and other safety measures are no use if workers aren’t put through safety drills. Those measures are also likely to fail if upper management reflects a “safety second” mentality on the job. To ensure neither threatens your heat safety approach, schedule regular training sessions and reject any casual attitudes toward heat safety. It only takes one serious heat injury to derail your organization.
  • Implement an acclimation period – Many severe and fatal heat illnesses occur in workers new to the job. These people often have not had time to adjust to high-exertion work or work in high-temperature areas.
    Fortunately, the human body can adjust (to an extent) to these conditions if given a couple of weeks with a gentle ramp-up of work intensity and duration. Allow your new hires to acclimate on this timeline to build up their heat tolerance.
  • Have a plan for when heat stress strikes – Ultimately, your organization must be prepared for when, not if, an emergency occurs. These emergency measures should be specified in your safety plan and include details on available emergency resources (such as cooling packs) – and where to find them. Your workers should also know how to move a heat stressed person to safety, how to begin life-saving cooling treatment, and who to contact.

Prevent Heat Stress by Recognizing and Reacting to the Causes

Heat stress can be a killer and has caused dozens of on-the-job fatalities in the last several years. That underestimates the impact of heat illnesses, too, as they often lead to long-term injury and reduced productivity.

The good news is that heat stress and heat injuries are avoidable with the right preventable measures in place.

Heat Stress FAQ

What is the difference between heat stress and heat illness?

Heat stress is the total heat load on a worker’s body from the weather, humidity, physical exertion, work clothing and process heat such as ovens or furnaces. Heat illness is what happens when the body can no longer shed that load. It ranges from heat rash and heat cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Managing heat stress on the job is how you keep it from turning into heat illness.

How can you tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke?

A worker with heat exhaustion is usually still sweating heavily, with cool, clammy skin, headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness or muscle cramps, and is still making sense. Heat stroke brings a dangerously high body temperature, confusion, slurred speech and loss of coordination, and the skin may be hot and dry or still wet. Confusion is the line. If a worker is confused or not acting like themselves, treat it as heat stroke and call 911. Our Heatstroke 101 guide covers the warning signs in more detail.

What should you do when a coworker shows signs of heat illness?

Stop the work and move the person to shade or a cooler area right away, then notify a supervisor. If they are confused, unresponsive or getting worse, call 911. Start cooling them while you wait, using cold water, wet towels, ice and moving air, and give sips of water only if they are alert. Stay with them until help arrives. Never send a worker with symptoms off alone to rest or walk it off.

Which workers are at the highest risk of heat stress?

New hires and workers returning after time off are at the top of the list, because their bodies have not acclimatized to the heat or the workload. Risk also climbs for anyone doing heavy exertion, wearing heavy or non-breathable clothing, or working near process heat, and for workers with heart disease or who take medications such as diuretics, anticholinergics or antidepressants. High humidity raises the risk for everyone, because sweat stops cooling the body when it cannot evaporate.

What should a heat stress prevention program have in place before summer?

Start with a survey of where heat builds up on your sites, then put it in a written heat safety plan. The plan should set water, shade and rest break schedules tied to the heat index, an acclimatization schedule for new and returning workers, training for supervisors and crews, and an emergency response plan that names who does what. Awareness tools such as Heat Aware Cards and heat stress management system signs keep that plan in front of the crew every shift, and a heat stress toolbox talk is an easy way to reinforce it. For the employer side of the picture, see our guide to OSHA and heat stress in the workplace.

Heat Stress Hazards and Effective Control Measures for Workplaces

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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. For heat specifically, the fixed version is a heat stress sign that posts the day’s temperature and humidity where the crew stops to drink. 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.

Heat Stress Control Measures FAQ

What is the difference between engineering and administrative controls for heat stress?

Engineering controls change the environment: shade, ventilation, fans for air movement, air conditioning, and shielding or insulating process heat from ovens, furnaces and steam lines. Administrative controls change how the work is done: scheduling heavy tasks for cooler hours, work and rest cycles, job rotation, acclimatization for new and returning workers, water and rest break schedules, and training. Use engineering controls first where they are feasible, then layer administrative controls on top. Personal cooling gear such as cooling vests and neck wraps comes last and supports the other two rather than replacing them.

How often should heat conditions be checked during a shift?

Check at the start of the shift and keep checking through the day, because the heat index usually climbs into the afternoon. Check again when the crew moves to a new area, when the work gets heavier, and anywhere indoors near process heat, where conditions can be worse than outside. Tie each reading to a specific action in your heat plan so the check changes what happens next. A liquid crystal thermometer on a Heat Aware Card gives workers a reading in seconds wherever they are.

How do work and rest cycles reduce heat stress?

Rest gives the body time to shed the heat it builds up during work. Breaks should get longer and more frequent as the heat index rises, as the workload gets heavier and when workers are in heavy protective clothing. The rest has to happen somewhere cooler, in shade or a cooling area with water, not at the hot spot where the work is. Write the schedule into your heat plan so supervisors are not improvising it on the hottest day of the year.

Does work clothing and PPE affect heat stress?

Yes. Heavy, non-breathable or layered clothing, flame-resistant gear and chemical protective suits trap heat and keep sweat from evaporating, which is how the body cools itself. Treat workers in that gear as higher risk at a lower heat index than the rest of the crew, with more rest, more water and closer monitoring. Never have workers remove required protective equipment to cool off. Adjust the schedule, the pace and the rest breaks instead.

Who should be responsible for heat controls on a jobsite?

Name one person for each crew and shift. That person checks conditions, makes sure water and shade are in place, enforces the break schedule, keeps a close eye on new and returning workers, and starts the emergency action plan if someone gets sick. Supervisors need training to do this well, and the crew needs to know who that person is. A short heat stress toolbox talk is an easy way to cover it before the shift. For the signs to watch for, see our guide to heat stress causes, symptoms and prevention, and for the employer’s obligations, see OSHA requirements for heat safety.

Five Ways to Improve Hydration in Heat and Keep Workers Safe

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Keep Your Workers Safe with Proper Hydration

In 2013, there were more than 16,000 reports of heat illness that were serious enough to result in at least one day of missed work, according to the U.S. Office of Compliance. Among those reports, there were 38 fatalities due to heat illness. It is up to employers and supervisors to prevent these potentially-fatal outcomes, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a place of employment that is free from recognizable hazards.

Heat is a recognized danger, but employers can counter it by keeping their workers cool and hydrated.

Five Ways to Improve Hydration in Heat

As workers exert themselves, they rapidly lose water in the form of sweat. This is a critical means of controlling body temperature, and without constant rehydration, it’s a mechanism that eventually fails. Once the body can no longer control its temperature, heat illness is imminent, so it’s critical that it never gets to this point. Here’s how employers can ensure their workers are safe from the heat at all times:

  1. Verify that workers are rehydrating – It’s common for workers to neglect rehydration while focused on completing a task. Dehydration is something that usually emerges slowly, so workers may not realize how dehydrated they are until it starts causing problems. This is why workers shouldn’t be the only line of accountability when it comes to hydration.
    Employers can learn a lot just by observing their employees and determining which ones are neglecting rehydration. Many of these workers would be happy to take a break and rehydrate, but they may not realize how often they need to replenish their fluids. Employers can use reference materials, which may be as simple as a laminated card, to remind workers when it’s time to take a break.
  2. Keep track of changing weather conditions – Even a difference of a few degrees may make the difference where heat illness is concerned, so keep an eye on the thermometer. Even better, give each worker a way to keep track of the temperature so they know when they need to rehydrate more frequently. For example, when the heat index climbs above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, workers will need between 12 and 24 ounces of fluid every hour to remain hydrated. When the heat index rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, though, workers will need to double or triple their water intake to stay hydrated.
    If workers have their own temperature-keeping device on hand, they can react to climbing temperatures right away, and hydrate accordingly.
  3. Make use of shade – Drinking water and replenishing electrolytes are essential elements of staying hydrated, as is reducing temperatures when possible. It’s highly recommended that there is a shaded rest area on every worksite, even if that shade is provided by a tent. In fact, tents typically make the perfect shade solutions because they can be moved around when it’s convenient to do so. Tents are also a valuable source of shade when there are no other sources of shade to be had. Consider setting up a hydration station inside the tent, along with air movers to circulate air and improve cooling.
  4. Use cooling equipment – Keeping workers cool is one way to keep them hydrated, so any tools that improve cooling efforts are tools worth investing in. They don’t have to be expensive or complicated devices, either. For instance, a simple neck wrap can be soaked in cool water and applied to wick heat away from the worker. These neck wraps are inexpensive and can be used over and over. They also help workers remain comfortable as well, which enables better, more reliable performance while on the job.
  5. Know the signs of dehydration – Dehydration isn’t just a danger to the worker. Once dehydration sets in, job performance suffers greatly, to the point where the worker may become a safety risk to themselves and those around them. According to a 2015 study published by Loughborough University, being dehydrated is the equivalent of being legally drunk when evaluating job performance. Even a modest amount of fluid loss (2 to 3 percent of the body’s total) is enough to induce considerable fatigue.
    Dehydration can produce a range of symptoms, including headaches, tiredness, dizziness and an inability to concentrate. Perhaps the most obvious sign of dehydration is dark urine color. When urine takes on a darker hue, as in darker than apple juice, it’s frequently due to dehydration and reduced fluid in the urine.
    There should always be someone on the worksite to spot any signs of severe dehydration or heat illness. Oversight in this area will hopefully stop instances of dangerous dehydration before they progress into medical emergencies.

Hydration is vitally important in protecting workers from harm while on the job. It’s up to employers, then, to implement these hydration safety methods and ensure their workers are prepared to meet the summer heat.

Worker Hydration FAQ

How much water should workers drink in the heat?

NIOSH guidance for work in the heat is 1 cup (8 ounces) of water every 15 to 20 minutes, which works out to 24 to 32 ounces an hour. Small amounts often work better than a lot at once, and workers should drink on that schedule instead of waiting until they feel thirsty. Put water close enough to the work that a drink does not mean a long walk.

Can a worker drink too much water?

Yes. NIOSH advises against drinking more than 48 ounces (1.5 quarts) an hour. Drinking far more than the body is losing can dilute the salt in the blood, which is its own medical problem. Steady, regular drinking through the shift is the goal, not catching up with a large amount at lunch.

Do workers need sports drinks or electrolytes?

For most work, water is enough. When heavy sweating goes on for several hours, NIOSH notes that sports drinks with balanced electrolytes are an option to replace the salt lost in sweat, though heavy use adds sugar. Energy drinks are a poor choice, because several a day can raise caffeine enough to affect the heart, and alcohol within 24 hours of working in the heat raises the risk of heat illness.

How can a supervisor tell if a worker is getting dehydrated?

Watch for headache, tiredness, dizziness, trouble concentrating and a drop in pace or accuracy. Urine color is a simple field check: urine darker than apple juice usually means the worker needs more fluid. Dehydration builds slowly, so pair workers up and check on anyone who has skipped breaks. If a worker becomes confused or stops making sense, treat it as heat stroke and call 911.

How do you adjust water breaks as the heat index rises?

Tie the schedule to the heat index, not the thermometer alone, because humidity makes the same temperature more dangerous. The HATS-20 B version of the Heat Aware Card carries a work and rest ratio and a fluid intake chart that match the colored zones on the Heat Stress Management System sign, so every worker can see what the current conditions call for. Write the schedule into your heat illness prevention program so it does not depend on one supervisor remembering it.

Do cooling neck wraps replace drinking water?

No. A wet neck wrap can make a worker more comfortable and help shed some heat, but it does not put back the fluid lost in sweat. Use cooling gear alongside water, rest and shade, never instead of them.

Stay Safe in the Heat: Sports and Heat Awareness Tips

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Whether you’re a coach or an athlete, there are several steps you can take to stay safe in the heat. With heat-related illnesses being an ever-present concern, here are some of the ways to stay heat aware and keep players and staff safe during practices and games:

  • Know the signs and symptoms of heat illness
  • Monitor on-field conditions in real time
  • Acclimate to high-risk conditions before intense exertion
  • Assess each athlete’s overall fitness level
  • Having a backup plan during periods of elevated heat risk
  • Establishing an emergency action plan (EAP) in the event heat stroke occurs

Among high school athletes, exertion-related heat stroke is a leading cause of preventable death. According to the National Federation of State School Associations (NFHS), 18 high school athletes have died due to heat exposure in the past 10 years during practice.

Athletes of all ages are at risk, not just children, so heat awareness is paramount at every level of competition. To help with that, here are some easily implemented and effective heat safety tips:

1) Know the Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illness

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can come on suddenly, especially when temperatures and humidity levels rise gradually. That means vigilance is the first step in preventing heat illnesses. If the team’s coaches and trainers are familiar with the signs of heat exhaustion, they can intervene before it progresses to heat stroke.

Signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Cool skin that may be moist to the touch
  • Dizziness and confusion
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Nausea
  • Headache

If not treated, heat exhaustion may develop into heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. Heat stroke presents with profound confusion, difficulty speaking, a dangerously high body temperature (more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit), and loss of consciousness.

Heat stroke deaths are completely preventable if coaches, teammates and parents act as soon as someone shows signs of heat illness.

Heat Aware's Heat Cards - HATS-20A | The signs, symptoms and treatment of heat illnesses2) Monitoring On-field Conditions in Real Time

Prompt care is important for heat illnesses, but prevention is the priority. That starts with monitoring on-field conditions and responding quickly if conditions become dangerous.

Throughout practice, take several temperature readings and pay close attention to humidity levels, wind patterns, and sun exposure. You don’t need bulky, sophisticated equipment to do this. A simple liquid crystal thermometer (LCT) can provide accurate temperature readings. LCTs are also weightless and compact, so they’re often integrated into ID badges, and because they’re cost effective, they can be distributed among coaching and trainer staff.

With temperature-taking tools like LCTs on hand, the coaching staff can keep a close eye on practice conditions and respond when they are no longer safe.

3) Acclimating to High-risk Conditions Before Intense Exertion

The vast majority of serious heat illnesses occur during the first few practices, before everyone has had a chance to adjust to the weather and activity levels. The NFHS recommends coaches implement a heat acclimation program that progresses over several weeks and prioritizes the following:

  • Shorter, less intense practices
  • Longer recovery periods between stretches of activity
  • Focusing initial practices on instruction instead of conditioning
  • Introducing protective gear slowly during initial practices

Longer breaks, plenty of water and fluids and minimal protective gear reduce the heat burden on athletes as they ramp up conditioning. This acclimation period also gives coaches the ability to identify anyone with an elevated risk of heat illness.

4) Assessing Each Athlete’s Overall Fitness Level

Prior to intense practices, it’s important for the team’s doctors to assess each athlete’s health and fitness levels. This includes identifying any medical conditions or medications that may place the person at a higher risk of heat illness. Examples include obesity, heart conditions, and certain mental illnesses (which can make it difficult to detect changes in temperature).

With this information, the team’s trainers can dedicate extra attention to anyone at elevated risk. This could include providing additional fluids, taking the athlete’s vitals more often, and developing an individualized plan for high-risk individuals.

5) Having a Backup Plan During Periods of Elevated Heat Risk

In some cases, the heat is too dangerous for any athlete to practice – regardless of fitness level. It is up to the coaching staff to recognize this and adjust accordingly. In fact, the NFHS recommends that teams have a “plan B” for those times when heat derails practice. For example, coaches may move activities to an indoor facility where air conditioning is available. Or, coaches may reduce practice intensity, switching to instruction instead of exertion.

Whatever the team’s plan B, it should be established before it needs to be implemented. Identify an alternative location or practicing method and communicate this to the entire team. That way, when the backup plan is needed, it can be quickly implemented.

6) Establishing an EAP for Heat Stroke Events

Another plan that every sports team needs is an emergency action plan for heat stroke. EAPs specify everything the team needs to know when a player develops heat stroke, including:

  • Where to take the patient for rapid cooling
  • What resources are available for treating heat stroke, and where they are located
  • Procedures for treating the patient, depending on presentation of symptoms
  • Who to contact if a player experiences heat stroke
  • Contact information for the team’s doctor or medical staff

An EAP formalizes the team’s response to a heat-related medical emergency and encourages a rapid response when it’s needed most. Serious complications due to heat stroke may be averted with prompt treatment, and an EAP increases the likelihood that it will be delivered.

Stay Heat Aware So the Team Stays Safe During Summer Sports

When the heat is on during the summer, so is the risk for athletes. To keep players safe and in the game, it’s up to everyone to practice heat awareness. That starts with vigilance – tracking on-field conditions, specifically. Temperature-taking tools like LCTs can make it easier to monitor conditions without stretching the team’s budget.