Beat The Heat - No Joke For Outdoor Workers
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July and August are traditionally the hottest months of the year, so it’s a good idea to review ways to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke and provide training, or follow-up training if you provided heat training earlier this year. Workers are more attentive when the heat is on.
Besides lost time, heat stoke can be fatal – 30 or more U.S. workers die from it each year. Agricultural workers have the highest death rate, but all outdoor workers and indoor workers in high heat are at risk.
Do more than just a handout. Many people don’t read much, especially when they’re busy with summer activities. Add live training, which anyone can do with “talk kits†complete with content, handouts and other tools from companies such as Business and Legal Reports or Washington State Department of Labor and Injuries are offers pocket cards in English and Spanish. OSHA has publications, and your state labor department will have info on laws or rules in your state.
Besides an annual review and new employee orientation, use tailgate meetings to remind workers to take breaks, stay hydrated and follow other recommendations to prevent heat illness.
Signs of heat exhaustion, which can escalate to heat stroke, include headache, dizziness or feeling light-headed, weakness, walking unsteadily, mood change, irritability, confusion, nausea, vomiting, fainting, decreased or dark urine, suddenly feeling cold despite the heat and clammy skin.
Heat stroke signals include dry skin, decrease in sweating, skin that is suddenly hot and red, high body temperature, seizures and collapse, plus increased confusion and other heat exhaustion symptoms.
Call 911 immediately if you suspect heat stroke. First aid is the same for both: get the employee to shade or an air-conditioned area, loosen and remove heavy clothing; have him or her drink small amounts of water and cool the skin by fanning plus misting water, a wet cloth or a wet sheet. If ice is available, place packs in armpits and the groin area. If the employee doesn’t improve within minutes, assume heat stroke.
Top prevention tips include:
Drink water before starting work and up to a quart per hour.
Schedule frequent cooling and water breaks.
Provide cool water on the site; employees may not bring enough.
Encourage employees who feel overheated or other symptoms to take an extra break of at least 5 minutes. Get them into air-conditioning.
Provide shade for breaks - if none is on site, use awnings or canopy tents
Remove hard hats during breaks - heat escapes from the head. Workers not requiring hard hats should wear hats with brims.
Set up a buddy system.
Rotate people in the hottest, heaviest work.
Consider ice packed vests.
Acclimate workers to heat. Experienced workers should go from 50 to 100 percent exposure in four days. New workers should start with 20 percent exposure, increasing 20 percent each day.
UCLA offers an excellent free employer heat safety checklist.