Page 14 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2018

SUMMER HAZARDS/HEAT STRESS
ements help to combat major occupational factors that contribute to heat stress.
For example, making water readily available and encouraging proper hydra- tion directly addresses the low fluid con- sumption risk factor. Employees should be drinking a liter of water per hour, roughly one cup every 15 minutes.
Creating standardized work/rest cycles based on proper industry standards guides workers in their approach to a particular task or work environment, thus tracking physical exertion and offering essential time for the body to recuperate. It is impor- tant to note that rest takes many different forms, so it is important to outline what rest breaks should look like. Finally, a break from direct sunlight—or even a direct heat source—gives an employee time to lower his or her internal body temperature and combat the overheating risk factor.
Another important preventative mea- sure can be acclimatization. Rarely are workers able to pick up a strenuous job in extreme conditions with no adjustment pe- riod. By promoting acclimatization, work- ers can gradually become acquainted with the work and with the conditions, in order
to ensure the body is able to adapt to the rigors of said work. It is recommended that workers who are new to the project, or who have been away from the project, increase their workload over the course of two weeks with plenty and more frequent rest breaks initially, until they reach the typical work/rest cycle.
Protective Measures
In addition to preventative measures, em- ployers have a multitude of resources that can help protect employees working in extreme heat environments. Many times, these measures require planning and fore- thought but also can have a major impact on overall safety culture.
Workplace setup is an often-over- looked element of a heat stress program. By creating a workplace that inherently protects workers, heat stress risk factors can be diminished. Implementing shade barriers, creating easily accessible and well-stocked rest areas near workers, and scheduling work times around the intran- sigent nature of weather are a few ways to create the safest possible environment in an outdoor setting. In an indoor setting,
which provides greater ability to regulate conditions, engineering controls play a significant role in keeping the temperature down. Using elements such as air condi- tioning, increased ventilation, reflective shields for radiant heat, and heating in- sulation for hot surfaces can all help to reduce high temperature and limited air movement occupational risk factors.
Training is another key component of protective measures. Employers carry a burden to educate their employees on heat and its effects on overall health, as well as how to protect against, recognize, and respond to heat stress. By providing this training in a language and manner that ef- fectively reaches your employees, you are empowering them to contribute to their own safety.
In a similar vein, monitoring employees is something both employers and employ- ees can and should do. Facilitated by train- ing, those on a job site can not only moni- tor themselves for signs of heat stress, but also monitor those around them. Supervi- sors can even pair employees in a buddy system to increase accountability. Monitor- ing helps perpetuate early detection of heat
12 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2018
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