Page 58 - OHS, June 2021

HEAT STRESS
The Heat is Coming—Keep Your Cool Indoors and Out
Protecting your skin from the heat and sun is important, not only outdoors, but inside, as well.
BY ALSIE NELSON
It’s time to face facts—everything on this green earth is getting hotter. 2020 tied the planet’s warmest year ever, joining 18 other record highs set since the turn
of the millennium. By 2050, the number of dangerous heat days (a heat index of above 104) across the U.S. is projected to more than double from 20 to 58.
For those regularly bearing the brunt of these temperatures, these trends are not to be taken lightly. 11 workers are already seriously injured or killed by heat stress every single day—a number that not only includes outdoor workers, but also those who spend 365 days of the year slogging away in foundries, paper mills and other demanding indoor environments. The good news? There’s something we can do to protect them. By developing worksite- specific heat illness prevention plans, safety managers can save lives as soon as today.
What is Heat Stress?
The first step to building the right plan is a basic understanding of what we mean by heat stress. Heat stress illnesses
occur when the body fails to keep its internal temperature below 99.7 degrees Fahrenheit (37.6 degrees Celcius). This failure can result in a variety of heat- related illnesses, such as heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and—most severely—heat stroke. If the internal body temperature climbs to 104 degrees, it only takes 30 minutes to cause cellular damage to the brain or even death.
While this article focuses on different environmental factors, keep in mind that personal factors such as age, weight, blood pressure and medications also put workers at a greater risk.
Outdoor Versus Indoor Heat Stess
If “heat stress on the job” conjures up images of the blistering sun delivering a beat down on sweaty workers, you’re certainly not wrong. The Bureau of Labor & Statistics reports that more than 95 percent of construction jobs require outdoor work at some point during the day. These workers battle all sorts of elements over the course of a year, with
heat stress risks rising as quickly as annual summer temperatures. However, it’s not just the heat that safety managers need to consider. The likelihood of developing skin cancer is three and half times higher for those who work outdoors than those who do not, making proper skin protection just as crucial to the plan.
Not to be outdone by its fresh air counterpart, indoor work can pose just as much of a heat stress risk (and sometimes even more). While a lack of air conditioning or general airflow can turn any indoor worksite into a sweat lodge, heat is a perpetual danger in environments like foundries, refineries, welding shops and mills. This risk is often further exacerbated by the requirement of heavy-duty PPE such as welding helmets, coveralls or hazmat suits.
Heat Stress Prevention:
Cooling Technologies & Gear
OSHA’s “Water. Rest. Shade.” is just the start. A complete heat stress prevention program goes beyond the basics to
54 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2021
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