Training

6 Health-Smart Tips for Beating Heat Hazards

You may not be able to do anything about the hot temperatures this summer, but you certainly can do a lot to help prevent heat illness by recommending that your employees follow these 6 simple safety tips.

Recommend that your employees follow these health-smart tips for beating summer heat hazards, both on and off the job.

1. Practice prehydration. Before the activity starts, your workers should drink up to 16 ounces of fluid. After the activity begins, they should drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes during the activity.

2. Drink the right stuff. Studies have shown that flavored water is more effective than plain water at providing hydration. This is simply because plain water is much better at quenching thirst and, therefore, people drink less of it. People will drink a larger volume of flavored water because they will continue to feel thirsty. Also, remind employees that they should never drink alcoholic beverages when working in the heat. Of course, that’s prohibited on the job, but they should be careful off the job as well.

3. Become acclimated to the heat slowly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a heat acclimation schedule can be induced in 5 to 7 days of exposure. For workers who have had previous experience with the job, CDC recommends an exposure regimen of 50 percent on day 1, 60 percent on day 2, 80 percent on day 3, and 100 percent on day 4. For new workers, CDC recommends 20 percent exposure on day 1 and a 20 percent increase on each additional day. Remember that after approximately 4 days of working in cool conditions, your workers’ heat acclimation will decrease.


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4. Take off that hat. The body loses a lot of heat out of the top of the head. In winter, you want to wear a hat to keep the heat in. But in summer, you want to release body heat. So if your workers are in hot shade, advise them against wearing a hat. If they are in direct sun and need shading, recommend that they wear a visor rather than a cap.

5. Wear the right fabric. Cotton is great at absorbing moisture from the skin while sweating, but it can create a problem if the fabric becomes soaked. If possible, recommend that your workers wear a loose, thin, white, synthetic t-shirt while working in the heat. Synthetic material does not absorb sweat, but instead, sends it off the skin to be quickly evaporated. Synthetic fabrics will keep your workers cooler and safer from dangers of heat illness.

6. Don’t remove personal protective equipment (PPE). Workers must wear all required PPE even when working in hot conditions. However, be sure to listen to your workers and offer breaks when needed.


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