Because heat, humidity and physical labor can lead to fatalities in summer months, OSHA lists simple precautions that can prevent many heat-related deaths and injuries.
Some of the tips include:
- Encourage workers to drink plenty of water—about 1 cup of cool water every 15 to 20 minutes, even if they are not thirsty—and to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks that dehydrate the body.
- Help workers adjust to the heat by assigning a lighter workload and longer rest periods for the first 5 to 7 days of intense heat. This process needs to start all over again when a worker returns from vacation or absence from the job.
- Encourage workers to wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Workers should change their clothes if they get completely saturated.
- Use general ventilation and spot cooling at points of high heat production. Good airflow increases evaporation and cooling of the skin.
- Train first-aid workers to recognize and treat the signs of heat stress and be sure all workers know who has been trained to provide aid. Also train supervisors to detect early signs of heat-related illness and permit workers to interrupt their work if they become extremely uncomfortable.
According to a recent report released by OSHA, 34 workers died and 2,420 others experienced heat-related occupational injuries and illnesses serious enough to miss work in 1999. For more information about heat and sun hazards, contact OSHA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
