Protect Workers from Heat Stress
Americans work in a variety of hot and/or humid environments. And with hot environments come safety and health problems. Heat tends to promote accidents due to the slipperiness of sweaty palms, dizziness or the fogging of safety glasses. If it is an indoor environment where molten metal and steam are present, the possibility of burns from accidental contact also exists. Aside from these obvious dangers, the frequency of accidents appears to be higher in hot environments than in more moderate environmental conditions. Working in a hot environment can lower the mental alertness and physical performance of an individual. Increased body temperature and discomfort also promote irritability, which can cause workers to lose their focus on the task at hand.
Heat Illness
Excessive exposure to a hot work environment can bring about a variety of heat-induced disorders. Heat stroke is the most serious health problem associated with working in hot environments. It occurs when the body’s temperature regulatory system fails and sweating becomes inadequate.
A heat stroke victim’s skin is hot, usually dry, red or spotted. Body temperature is usually 105º F or higher, and the victim is confused and delirious, perhaps experiencing convulsions or loss of consciousness. Without quick and appropriate treatment, death can occur.
Any person with symptoms of heat stroke requires immediate hospitalization. However, first aid should be administered prior to transport to an emergency care facility. This includes moving the victim to a cool area, thoroughly soaking his or her clothing with water and vigorously fanning the body to increase cooling. Another common heat-induced illness is heat exhaustion. Its early symptoms are similar to those of heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is caused by the loss of large amounts of fluid through sweating, sometimes with excessive loss of salt. In most cases, a worker suffering from heat exhaustion still sweats, but experiences extreme weakness, nausea or headache. In most cases, treatment involves having the victim rest in a cool place and drink plenty of liquids.
Although humans are capable of adjusting to heat, the adjustment can take about five to seven days. During this period, the body undergoes a series of changes that make exposure to the heat more bearable.
Strategies to Reduce the Risks
Many industries have attempted to reduce the hazards of heat stress by introducing engineering controls, training workers to recognize and prevent heat stress, and implementing work-rest cycles. Heat stress depends, in part, on the amount of heat the worker’s body produces while a job is being performed. Therefore, one way of reducing the potential for heat stress is to make the job easier or lessen its duration by providing adequate rest time.
Mechanizing work procedures can often make it possible to isolate workers from heat sources (perhaps in an air-conditioned booth) and increase overall productivity by decreasing the time needed for rest. Another approach to reducing the level of heat stress is to use engineering controls, such as ventilation and heat shielding.
OSHA offers four simple tips that will help to keep your employees safe during periods of extreme heat: 1. Drink water often. 2. Rest in the shade. 3. Report heat symptoms early. 4. Know what to do in an emergency.
