How to Beat the Heat and Prevent Heat Illness: A Step-by-Step Guide
As the summer approaches, heat illness is a concern on employer’s minds throughout the country. High summer temperatures bring a unique set of challenges that if not addressed correctly, can lead to heat illness, and employee fatality in the most serious cases. The challenges hot summer weather brings range from maintaining employee health, to sustaining productivity in tough conditions, while adhering to all regulatory agency requirements. Heat illness can cause severe problems for your business, but rest assured there are simple preventative measures you can take to avoid heat illness from scorching your company.
OSHA Can Conduct Inspections on 80° Fahrenheit+ Heat Index Days
OSHA is focusing on reducing exposure to indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards that result in on-the-job illness, injury, and death. The National Emphasis Plan consists of targeted inspections, outreach, and compliance assistance.
The NEP authorizes OSHA to conduct pre-planned inspections of high-risk worksites on “heat priority days” where the heat index—of “feel like” temperature—is expected to be 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Know What OSHA Will Look For During an Inspection
OSHA states that the Certified Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) will review/inspect several heat illness-related compliance procedures and documents.
During their review, they will most likely:
The Four Types of Heat Illness
OSHA and the CDC categorize heat illnesses into four types. The chart below lists symptoms and the proper first aid action for each scenario. Managers should be aware of these symptoms to assist their employees. In all cases, when in doubt, call 911.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Remember, if you are not a medical professional, use this information as a guide only to help workers in need.
What to look for
What to do
What to look for
What to do
Get medical help right away if:
What to look for
What to do
Get medical help right away if:
What to look for
What to do
8 Ways to Plan for and Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses
There are two common kinds of heat-related illness: heat exhaustion and heatstroke. While both call for prompt action, the latter is a medical emergency. Understanding the difference may be a matter of life and death. Either of these illnesses can strike easier than you think.
While people working outdoors in extreme heat are the most susceptible to heat illness, it can also affect people indoors. The radiant heat in some indoor environments—such as metal fabrication shops—can exceed outdoor temperatures. Remember that people frequently overestimate their limits and ability to continue working in the heat. They may not know they’re in trouble before it’s too late.
All of the following can factor into heat illness risk:
Also, make sure your team is acclimated to working in the heat.
The NWS Heat Index is a valuable measurement tool for heat-related workforce risk. The scale ranges from 80º F and 40% humidity (defined as the low end of “Caution”) to 110ºF and 100% humidity (far into “Extreme Danger” territory).
Think back to the Heirarchy of Controls we’ve discussed in the past. The greater the danger on the NWS Heat Index, the more protective measures employers should take. Those measures may include any or all of the following:
In any case, always ensure adequate medical services are available and be ready to stop and reschedule work. At certain temperatures, no task is worth the risk.
Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. Sweat does not evaporate as quickly in a moist environment as it does in a dry climate. Because evaporation of sweat from the skin is one of the ways the human body cools itself on a hot day, high humidity reduces our natural cooling potential, causing us to feel hotter. Low humidity can also be a problem for outdoor workers in hot, desert-like climates. Sweat evaporates rapidly in low humidity, leading to severe dehydration when a person doesn’t drink enough water throughout the day.
Heat illness can anywhere. Based on where you do business, your organization may be on the hook for indoor as well as outdoor conditions. California, for instance, is finalizing a heat illness prevention rule that would apply to indoor work areas where temperatures exceed 82° F. Many of the same precautions as outdoor environments apply to indoor settings. Remember that architectural aspects, such as reflective shields and insulation, can impact a building’s internal temperature.
Designate people within your organization as heat safety leaders. Members of the team should be responsible for reporting, monitoring conditions, managing response protocols, implementing controls at each risk level, and ensuring the availability of supplies and equipment.
Employees should be trained to recognize symptoms of heat-related illnesses, on what to do when symptoms are observed, and on site-specific risks and controls. In addition to their personal heat illness prevention choices, such as water intake and clothing, members of your workforce also need to be aware of their individual risk factors, including age, medications, obesity, diet, smoking habits, and medical conditions.
These 8 strategies may seem like a lot of work, but they’re easy to implement in any organization with a strong safety culture and workforce management system in place.
Heat illness can affect employees, and in turn a business. The good news is there are simple tactics managers can implement to ensure the safety of their employees as well as sustaining productivity. If you don’t have a plan for the heat, the heat will come up with a plan for you.
See how Novara can keep you and your employees cool—in more ways than one.
