Precautions Needed for Working in Hot Weather
As employees in construction and other industries face the time of the year when hot working conditions are most prevalent, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is providing information on preventing heat stress and recognizing heat-related health disorders. OSHA points out that how individual workers respond to high summer temperatures and humidity depend upon personal characteristics such as age, weight, fitness, medical condition and acclimatization to the heat. However, basic precautions can be taken to prevent most heat-related problems on the job: - Appropriate work practices start with providing plenty of drinking water, as much as one quart per worker per hour. First aid workers should be trained to recognize and treat heat stress disorders, and it is essential for all workers to know who these staff members are. OSHA also advises employers to assess whether individuals are physically fit to be able to work safely in a hot environment. Older workers, obese workers and personnel taking certain types of medication are at greater risk.
- Alternating work and rest periods, with longer rest periods in a cool area, can help workers avoid heat stress, OSHA says. If possible, heavy work should be scheduled during the cooler parts of the day, and appropriate protective clothing should be provided. Supervisors should allow workers to interrupt their work when the heat makes them extremely uncomfortable.
- Acclimatizing workers by exposing them to short exposures to the heat and gradually working up to longer periods can help reduce heat stress. New employees and workers returning to the job after an absence of two weeks or more should have a five-day acclimatization period, OSHA recommends. This period should begin with 50% of the normal workload and time exposure the first day and gradually build up to 100% on the fifth day.
- It is vital to educate workers about the need to replace fluids and salt lost through sweat. Workers should also be able to recognize signs of dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, heat cramps, salt deficiency, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. OSHA also says that workers should be informed of the importance of daily weighing before and after work to avoid dehydration.
Following are heat disorders that employers and their workers should be vigilant against during hot conditions:
- Heat stroke, the most serious health problem associated with hot weather, occurs when sweating stops and the body is no longer able to rid itself of excess heat. Signs include: mental confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions or coma; a body temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; and hot, dry skin that may also be red, mottled or bluish. Victims of heat stroke will die unless treated promptly, OSHA warns. While awaiting medical help, the victim must be removed to a cool area and their clothing should be soaked with cool water. The victim should be fanned vigorously to increase cooling. Prompt first aid can prevent permanent injury to the brain and other vital organs.
- Heat exhaustion results from the loss of fluid through sweating when a worker has failed to drink enough water or take in enough salt, or both. Workers with heat exhaustion still sweat, but they experience extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea or headache. The skin is clammy and moist, the complexion is pale or flushed and the body temperature is normal or slightly higher. OSHA says that treatment is usually simple: the victim should rest in a cool place and drink an electrolyte solution (a beverage used by athletes to quickly restore potassium, calcium and magnesium salts.) In severe cases where vomiting or the loss of consciousness is involved, longer treatment under medical supervision may be required.
- Heat cramps are painful spasms of the muscle that occur when workers drink large quantities of water but fail to replace their body’s loss of salt. Tired muscles used for performing the work are most susceptible to cramps. Cramps can occur during or after working hours and can be relieved by drinking liquids. If it is determined that they are medically required, intravenous saline solutions provide quicker relief.
- Fainting, or heat syncope, can be a problem when workers who are not used to the heat simply stand still. Victims usually recover quickly after lying down briefly, OSHA says. Moving around, rather than standing still, will usually reduce the chances of fainting.
- Heat rash, or prickly heat, can occur in hot and humid environments in which sweat does not evaporate easily from the surface of the skin. When the condition is extensive or it is complicated by infection, heat rash can be so uncomfortable that it prevents workers from sleeping, impeding their job performance and even resulting in temporary total disability. Heat rash can be prevented by resting in a cool place and allowing the skin to dry.
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