#Workplace Safety
By Team Seaglass
Summertime is here! For those of you on the east coast, we’ve enjoyed an unusually long comfortable Spring, but hot temperatures are quickly approaching! With hot temps, come heat stress, especially for workers who must work outside or in hot environments without air conditioning.
It’s critical that employers and employees understand the risks associated with heat stress and implement effective strategies to prevent its impact on the human body. In this month’s blog, we will explore the causes and symptoms of heat stress, and discuss practical tips for maintaining a cool and safe working environment.
Understanding Heat Stress
Hazardous heat conditions can occur indoors and outdoors, and while the conditions are most prominently recognized during the summer months, it can occur in any season. Heat stress is impacted by both environmental factors, as well as a person’s personal metabolic heat, which is influenced by physical activity and personal health. If you work in a warm environment, especially when physically active, you may be at risk for heat illness.
The body is naturally equipped to maintain a healthy internal body temperature, but when external factors make it difficult to dissipate the heat, the body may struggle to do its job at controlling your body temperature. Early symptoms include excessive thirst, excessive sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, and irritability. If these symptoms are experienced, prompt care is necessary. If there is decreased sweating, headache, loss of concentration and impaired decision making, you may be entering a more dangerous phase referred to as heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is the most serious and prolonged phase of illness with symptoms of slurred speech, dysphoria, and loss of consciousness. Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke can be deadly if not promptly addressed, which is why it is very important to recognize early systems and implement prevention measures to eliminate heat stress hazards. If you wait too long, it may be too late…
Prevention and Mitigation Strategies
Heat related stress can be prevented through the development of a Heat Stress Prevention Plan. Employers, who have job tasks that require physical activity in warm environments, should assess the work condition to determine its heat related risks. A simple check on the thermometer does not necessarily mean that your employees are not being exposed to excessive heat. Some employers may also find it helpful to reference the local “Heat Index” to assess heat risks. While the thermometer and “Heat Index” may be appropriate for initial screening for general public warnings, those tools do not accurately measure the true value of heat within a working environment. OSHA recommends the use of a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) monitor to measure environmental heat in the workplace. https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/hazards
Engineering Controls
The best way to prevent heat related illnesses is to reduce the temperature in the work environment. Consider the following engineering controls to make the work environment cooler:
| · Air Conditioning | · Cooling & Misting Fans |
| · Increased General Ventilation | · Local Exhaust Ventilation (at points of high heat production) |
| · Insulation of Hot Surfaces or Equipment | · Replace Manual Labor with Mechanical Devices |
| · Eliminate Steam & Hot Fluid Leaks | · Install Reflective Shields to Redirect Radiant Heat |
Work Practices
Re-engineering the process to eliminate or reduce the heat generation will provide the best results, but when engineering controls are not possible, work practices must be adjusted to promote workplace safety. Some common work practices include:
| · Adjust work schedules to cooler times of the day | · Enforce frequent rest breaks in shaded areas | |
| · Reduce physical demands as much as possible | · Rotate job functions among workers | |
| · Encourage workers to drink sufficient water or electrolyte-containing fluids | · Designate a qualified person to monitor worker conditions and first-aid response | |
| · Require uniforms of light, breathable clothing | · Offer cooling neck wraps and insulated cooling suits where appropriate | |
Worker Training
All employees should be reminded of the risk factors and symptoms of heat related illness, particularly before entering high risk settings. OSHA advises that new employees in particular, who may not be acclimatized to working in hot environments, be introduced to the work environment gradually to allow the body to adjust to heat conditions. Consider these tips for heat related worker training:
| · Explain the risk factors for heat illness | · Describe the common signs/symptoms of heat-related illness |
| · Reinforce the importance of hydration | · Provide guidance on Heat-Related Illness prevention & response |
| · Express the importance of reporting early symptoms to the supervisor | · Explain procedures for contacting emergency medical services |
Supporting Employee Well-Being
Heat stress in the workplace is a serious concern that can impact both employee health and company productivity. Clearly communicating with staff and encouraging feedback from employees helps to support the work environment by fostering teamwork, management care/concern, and a healthy well-being; all are integral parts to promoting a safe, productive, and successful workplace culture. For more information on this topic or any other workplace safety issue, please contact us at www.seaglassinsurance.com