Many workers spend some part of their working day in a hot environment. Workers in foundries, laundries, construction projects, and bakeries -- to name a few industries -- often face hot conditions which pose special hazards to safety and health.  OSHA’s General Duty Clause 29CFR1900.1(b)(1) requires each employer to set up a safety and health program to manage workplace safety and health to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities by systematically achieving compliance with OSHA standards and the “General Duty Clause”.  The program must be appropriate to conditions in the workplace, such as the hazards to which employees are exposed and the number of employees.

Agricultural enterprises must get in compliance:

In some regions, there are times during the growing season when the temperature stays above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, even at night. High air temperatures and humidity put agricultural workers at special risk for heat illness. Worker Compensation claims for heat illness among agricultural workers are among the highest of any occupation.

Schools must get in compliance:

This problem affects the student athlete population and can increase liability for schools as well. The main problem associated with exercising in the hot weather is water loss through sweating. Water loss is best replaced by allowing the athlete unrestricted access to water. Water breaks two or three times every hour are better than one break an hour. Probably the best method is to have water available at all times and to allow the athlete to drink water whenever he/she needs it. Never restrict the amount of water an athlete drinks, and be sure the athletes are drinking the water. The small amount of salt lost in sweat is adequately replaced by salting food at meals. Talk to your medical personnel concerning emergency treatment plans.  View our Heat Stress Poster designed for athletic use.

What causes heat stress:

There are four environmental factors that affect the amount of stress a worker faces in a hot work area: temperature, humidity, radiant heat (such as from the sun or a furnace) and air velocity. Perhaps most important to the level of stress an individual faces are personal characteristics such as age, weight, fitness, medical condition and acclimatization to the heat. The body reacts to high external temperature by circulating blood to the skin which increases skin temperature and allows the body to give off its excess heat through the skin. However, if the muscles are being used for physical labor, less blood is available to flow to the skin and release the heat.

Make sure you have a program to prevent heat illness:

Protect the health of your employees. Heat illness is preventable. When less severe forms occur, they can be treated before they become life-threatening.   Some of the things that you can do to lower the occurrence of heat related illness are:

1. A variety of engineering controls including general ventilation and spot cooling by local exhaust ventilation at points of high heat production may be helpful. Shielding is required as protection from radiant heat sources. Evaporative cooling and mechanical refrigeration are other ways to reduce heat. Cooling fans can also reduce heat in hot conditions.

2. Work practices such as providing plenty of drinking water -- as much as a quart per worker per hour -- at the workplace can help reduce the risk of heat disorders. Training first aid workers to recognize and treat heat stress disorders and making the names of trained staff known to all workers is essential.

3. Alternating work and rest periods with longer rest periods in a cool area can help workers avoid heat stress. If possible, heavy work should be scheduled during the cooler parts of the day and appropriate protective clothing provided. Supervisors should be trained to detect early signs of heat stress and should permit workers to interrupt their work if they are extremely uncomfortable.

4. Acclimatization to the heat through short exposures followed by longer periods of work in the hot environment can reduce heat stress. New employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have a 5-day period of acclimatization. This period should begin with 50 percent of the normal workload and time exposure the first day and gradually building up to 100 percent on the fifth day.

5. Employee education is vital so that workers are aware of the need to replace fluids and salt lost through sweat and can recognize dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, heat cramps, salt deficiency, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke as heat disorders. Workers should also be informed of the importance of daily weighing before and after work to avoid dehydration.

Benefits of a heat stress program:

• Improve safety. Workers with even mild effects of heat illness are more likely to have accidents and use poor judgment.

• Increase productivity. People work slower and less efficiently when they are under too much strain from heat.

To protect your workers from the dangers of heat stroke or other related heat illnesses, order our Heat Stress Poster.  Although OSHA does not have a specific rule for heat stress, workers are protected under the General Duty Clause.  This poster will inform your workers of the signs of heat stress and how to protect themselves.