Prevent your employees from suffering Heat Stress!
Working in hot conditions can have serious impacts on someone’s ability to function.
Heat stress occurs when the body fails to control its internal temperature.
As with any risk or hazard, the idea is to remove or reduce the source where possible. Here are our top 5 tips on preventing Heat Stress;
- If possible, control the temperature through the use of air conditioning, fans or shade.
- Reduce the work rate. Use mechanical assistance, add in extra breaks or restrict hours of work in hot conditions.
- Stay hydrated. Ensure workers are drinking plenty of water. Provide cold water to encourage workers to drink.
- Provide suitable PPE. For those working in direct sunlight or in hot conditions, ensure that they are provided with the correct PPE. Look at providing caps and neck shields to block sunlight. Lighter-weight, breathable garments will help to prevent overheating but still comply with regulations.
- Check-in with employees and monitor their health. It’s important to check in on employees and monitor how they are feeling. People react differently to changes in weather conditions. Be sure to make them aware they can speak about any issues they are facing.
