Preventing Heat Stress

Key Takeaways:
– Understanding the significance of heat stress killing more than 300 people each year in the U.S. alone
– Recognizing the effects of overheating, including dizziness, fainting, heat rashes, cramps, strokes, and in extreme cases, death.

Course Description
Heat stress is a common occurrence for many workplaces. Often, heat stress will sneak up on people and force them to stop working during the day. The aim of this lesson is to help you identify the risks of heat stress so that you can prevent it before it sneaks up on you. Some risk factors that we will discuss include:
– High temperatures and humidity
– Direct sun exposure
– Limited air movement
– Low liquid intake
– Heavy physical labor
– And lack of recent exposure to hot workplaces or environments (acclimatization).

Here are some of the steps you will learn about to prevent heat stress:
– Schedule jobs in hot climates to be done during cooler months
– Reduce exposure by working in the early morning or late evening, rather than the hottest part of the day
– Frequently take breaks in a shaded area while working outside
– Acclimatization: the smartest approach to working in hot environments is gradual exposure.
– Recruit relief workers or employ extra workers for physically demanding jobs.
– Stay hydrated throughout the day.
– Don light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing like cotton.