With the summer heating up in the southern hemisphere, HSEQ Manager reminds employers to be vigilant of the warning signs of workers affected by heat stress. Employers with workers who work in hot conditions, such as outdoors and the sun or in confined space, must ensure the work environment poses no risk to health and safety.
Employers can minimise the risk by modifying workloads and scheduling them in the early morning to avoid the hottest time of day. Rotating work is a good idea and also providing them with extra rest breaks in cool areas. Other measures may be to increase air movement using fans and isolating workers from hot air.
Symptoms of heat stress include feeling dizzy or weak, and a worker can become clumsy or disorientated which only increases the risk of injury.
If a worker is feeling unwell in the heat they should rest in a cool place immediately and drink lots of fluids. If they do not recover quickly, seek medical attention straight away as heat stroke is evident.
Preventing dehydration is critical and this can be done by:
Always report any signs of heat stress to your supervisor immediately. Avoid delaying this at all costs and seek help immediately when your work mate appears to have symptoms that may indicate heat stress.
