
High Temperature Health and Safety: Essential Tips for Protecting Outdoor Workers
Due to our changing climate, high temperature health and safety in hot and humid climates are a growing concern for workers and employers in North America. Over exposure to such elements can result in dehydration, heat stress, heat stroke, and overall exhaustion. It doesn’t matter if you’re young/old, fit/unfit, these heat-related illnesses can affect all workers. Therefore, it is important for your ergonomics policy and program to take high temperature work and heat stress into consideration.
With heat stress comes increased fatigue and resultant muscle weakness, which impacts a worker’s ability to perform manual work. Naturally, our first instinct is to drink more water and get into a cooler environment to help lower our body temperature but what if we could use ergonomics to continue to work diligently while not succumbing to the stresses of high heat?
Work Organization for High Temperature Health and Safety
To enhance high temperature health and safety, it’s crucial to organize work schedules effectively. Implementing work organization strategies can minimize prolonged exposure to hot environments. For instance, workers should perform a task or portion of a task before switching to activities requiring lesser exertion. This allows operators to tackle the most strenuous jobs during cooler parts of the day and take frequent breaks to cool down.
Consider this example: Consider a Public Works Operator tasked with pothole patching. Instead of working in the heat continuously, the operator could alternate between patching and completing paperwork in an air-conditioned truck cab. This method reduces heat exposure while maintaining productivity.
Effective Job Rotation Strategies for High Temperature Health and Safety
Job rotation is a key strategy to improve high temperature health and safety. By rotating workers through various tasks and cooler environments, you can reduce the duration of exposure to high temperatures. This practice not only helps manage heat stress but also maintains worker efficiency and safety.
Example: In the pothole patching scenario, if the team consists of two operators, rotate their tasks so that one operator handles the strenuous work while the other manages less intense tasks or rests in the cooler vehicle. This reduces each worker’s heat exposure and enhances overall safety.
How Reducing Movement Can Improve High Temperature Health and Safety
Reducing unnecessary movement is vital for high temperature health and safety. Ergonomic solutions such as using appropriate tools and equipment can help mitigate the stress caused by working in hot conditions. Both employers and workers have roles to play in this aspect—employers should provide the necessary training and tools, while workers should adhere to safe work practices.
Example: Operators should use hoists, lift assists, and other ergonomic aids to reduce physical strain. Additionally, employers should ensure regular training and enforce administrative controls such as formal rotation schedules to maintain high temperature health and safety.
More Tips For High Temperature Health And Safety
To further safeguard your workers, consider these additional tips:
- Develop a high temperature health and safety policy that includes specific recovery breaks and guidelines for working in hot conditions.
- Ensure workers wear lightweight and breathable fabrics to maintain high temperature health and safety.
- Implement frequent rest breaks to support high temperature health and safety in the workplace.
- Encourage the use of sunscreen and other protective aids such as hats and sunglasses to mitigate sun exposure.
- Promote regular hydration by encouraging workers to drink plenty of water throughout their shifts.
By integrating these strategies into your workplace practices, you can significantly enhance high temperature health and safety, reduce heat-related illnesses, and improve overall worker well-being.
Ready to enhance your high temperature health and safety measures? Contact us today to learn more about implementing effective ergonomic practices in your workplace.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Receive exclusive email updates on webinars, resources, newsletters and events!