Page 46 - OHS, March 2020

SUMMER HAZARDS
Recognizing and Preventing Heat-Related Hazards as Temperatures Rise
Employers must work to protect workers from heat-related illnesses during the hot summer months.
BY SYDNY SHEPARD
In the dead of winter, when the sky is dark, the wind is chilling and the clouds are heavy, we are all thinking the same thing: “I can’t wait for the sun to come out and for summer to be here.”
While thinking of the summer heat can help to warm up our chilly bones in the winter, rising temperatures can be quite detrimental to a worker’s health if not ap- proached correctly.
The risks of summer-related illnesses such as heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are increased significantly when a person is introduced to extreme heat while engaged in strenuous activities. This extreme heat can also increase a worker’s risk of injury, as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged-up safety glasses, dizziness, or reduced brain function responsible for reasoning ability. Other injuries may also occur due to hot environments around workers such as burns from hot surfaces, steam or fire.1
Between 1992 and 2017, more than 815 workers were killed and 70,000 were seriously injured by heat
stress between 1992 and 2017, according to the Bu- reau of Labor Statistics. This begs the ever-important question: How can employers address heat dangers and keep workers safe?
Be on the Lookout
Before understanding the steps needed to address heat-related illnesses, you must first be aware of what kinds of injuries and illnesses can occur in the summers’ extreme heat. Like mentioned before, the chances of a worker suffering from heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are signifi- cantly higher when the temperature begins to soar. Here are the most common heat illnesses, their symp- toms and how to treat them.
Heat Rash. Heat rash is generally misunderstood to be an affliction for babies, but heat rash can affect adults, too, especially during hot, humid weather. Heat rash develops when blocked pores, or sweat ducts, trap perspiration under your skin.
40 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2020
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