Stay Cool \u2013 Stay Safe \u2013 Prevent Heat Stress
\nSeasonal Safety Bulletin | Summer Working Conditions<\/p>\n
HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN CREATE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS
\nWorking outdoors during hot weather can increase the risk of:<\/p>\n
Heat stress
\nHeat exhaustion
\nHeat stroke
\nDehydration
\nReduced concentration and increased risk of accidents
\nAll employees must understand the dangers of working in high temperatures and follow preventive measures to protect themselves and their colleagues.<\/p>\n
Remember: Safety starts with personal responsibility.<\/p>\n
1. DRINK WATER REGULARLY
\nYour body loses water through sweating. Dehydration reduces your ability to work safely.<\/p>\n
Always:
\n\u2713 Drink water frequently during the working day
\n\u2713 Drink before you feel thirsty
\n\u2713 Keep drinking water available close to the workplace
\n\u2713 Take small amounts of water regularly rather than waiting until you are exhausted<\/p>\n
Avoid:
\n\u2717 Excessive coffee consumption
\n\u2717 Energy drinks during hot work conditions
\n\u2717 Alcohol before or during work activities<\/p>\n
Recommended action:
\nDrink approximately 200\u2013250 ml of water every 15\u201320 minutes during hot weather conditions.<\/p>\n
2. PLAN WORK TO REDUCE HEAT EXPOSURE
\nSupervisors and workers must organize activities to reduce exposure to extreme heat.<\/p>\n
Good practices:
\n\u2713 Perform heavy physical work during cooler periods of the day
\n\u2713 Schedule frequent rest breaks
\n\u2713 Use shaded or cooled rest areas
\n\u2713 Rotate workers when possible during intensive outdoor activities
\n\u2713 Monitor weather conditions before starting work<\/p>\n
Avoid unnecessary exposure during the hottest period of the day.<\/p>\n
3. WEAR SUITABLE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
\nCorrect PPE helps protect workers from sun exposure and workplace hazards.<\/p>\n
Workers should wear:<\/p>\n
\u2713 Lightweight and breathable work clothing
\n\u2713 High-visibility safety vest where required
\n\u2713 Safety footwear
\n\u2713 Protective gloves suitable for the task
\n\u2713 Safety glasses with UV protection
\n\u2713 Wide-brimmed hats or sun protection helmets<\/p>\n
Do not remove required PPE because of hot weather. Consult your supervisor if PPE causes discomfort.<\/p>\n
4. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT
\nLong exposure to sunlight can cause burns, fatigue and heat-related illness.<\/p>\n
Protection measures:<\/p>\n
\u2713 Work in shaded areas whenever possible
\n\u2713 Use temporary shade structures
\n\u2713 Apply sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) on exposed skin
\n\u2713 Protect your neck and face from direct sunlight
\n\u2713 Wear sunglasses with UV protection<\/p>\n
5. RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS
\nEarly warning signs:
\nHeadache
\nDizziness
\nExcessive sweating
\nWeakness
\nFatigue
\nMuscle cramps
\nNausea
\nIf you experience these symptoms:
\nStop work immediately
\nMove to a shaded or cool area
\nDrink water
\nInform your supervisor
\n6. HEAT STROKE \u2013 EMERGENCY CONDITION
\nHeat stroke is a serious medical emergency.<\/p>\n
Possible signs:<\/p>\n
Confusion or unusual behavior
\nLoss of consciousness
\nHot and dry skin
\nVery high body temperature
\nSeizures
\nImmediate actions:
\n\u2713 Call emergency medical assistance
\n\u2713 Move the person to a cool place
\n\u2713 Remove unnecessary clothing
\n\u2713 Cool the body using water, wet towels or other cooling methods<\/p>\n
Do not leave an affected worker alone.<\/p>\n
WORKER RESPONSIBILITIES
\nEvery employee must:<\/p>\n
\u2713 Follow HSE instructions
\n\u2713 Use provided drinking water and rest facilities
\n\u2713 Wear required PPE
\n\u2713 Report unsafe conditions
\n\u2713 Look after colleagues and report signs of heat stress<\/p>\n
SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
\nSupervisors must:<\/p>\n
\u2713 Assess heat-related risks before starting work
\n\u2713 Provide drinking water and suitable rest areas
\n\u2713 Organize work schedules considering weather conditions
\n\u2713 Monitor workers during hot weather
\n\u2713 Ensure emergency arrangements are available<\/p>\n
QUICK SAFETY CHECK BEFORE STARTING WORK
\n\u2610 Is drinking water available?
\n\u2610 Are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stay Cool \u2013 Stay Safe \u2013 Prevent Heat Stress Seasonal Safety Bulletin | Summer Working Conditions HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN CREATE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS Working outdoors during hot weather can increase the risk of: Heat stress Heat exhaustion Heat stroke Dehydration Reduced concentration and increased risk of accidents All employees must understand the dangers of working…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-qhse-news-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=162"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions\/163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}