Heat is one of the biggest threats to worker safety during summer. Since June is National Safety Month, now is the perfect time for companies to re-evaluate their heat illness prevention program. While thousands of workers suffer from heat-related issues each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) believes that most of these incidents could have been easily avoided. With the abundance of tools and resources available for organizations, fatalities due to rising temperatures are unacceptable at any workplace.
Employee Awareness and Training
Our body has its natural way of letting us know when environmental heat is too much. Unfortunately, those small signs aren’t always the most telling, nor are they the most effective way to prevent overexposure. Our personal limitations vary, which is sometimes lost on workers, leading to costly errors or lapses in judgement. OSHA has continued to set multiple standards and guidelines over the years, aimed at reducing the heat-related incidents in the workplace, regardless of the age or physical condition of an employee. In fact, companies with workers who are exposed to high temperatures are required to establish a complete heat illness prevention program.
However, training the workforce on heat safety is more than just another way to address compliance. It’s an invaluable factor in establishing a culture of health and safety at work. If safety managers and workers share a deep understanding of what they can do to mitigate heat-related injuries, it’ll be second nature for everyone to look after each other and practice accountability. Such a workforce should be able to act together against the dangers of environmental heat, even in small ways like these:
- For managers: adjusting the workload or schedule of employees who are at risk of being overexposed to heat
- For employees: wearing the necessary personal protective equipment and staying in the shade during the hottest times of the day
- For everyone: identifying the signs and symptoms of heat stress and then recognizing how they can also be different for everyone
- For everyone: pacing their work and using their rest periods more efficiently
Embracing Modern Technology and New Safety Principles
Last year, Fujitsu announced that it was working on a new AI featuring an algorithm that will able to estimate the heat stress level of on-site employees. Workers at construction and manufacturing sites have used a device worn on their arm to measure heat stress level through data such as temperature, humidity and pulse rate. For its part, OSHA now provides more data on its online portals. The Centers for Disease Control even has mobile apps that are free to download.
This influx of technology has provided an abundance of new solutions, which come in many forms. Web-based training centers have offered employers unmatched flexibility and control when it comes to training and continuous education. With research, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is now looking to set a new standard on clothing and protective equipment, which is bound to change everyone’s approach to heat safety in the foreseeable future.
There have been myth-busting developments, too. There’s always been a belief that caffeine is bad for employees working in hot areas, but recent studies suggest that moderate amounts of caffeine may be OK after all, though employees should still pass on hot drinks before working under the sun, since the heat will contribute to a sudden rise of temperature in their bodies.
Ultimately, there’s still a lot to do before we can reduce heat-related injuries to a fraction. Arguably, though, employers already have enough information to limit these issues to an acceptable level. There’s reason to be optimistic about occupational safety in general, but, of course, it all has to start with the willingness of an organization to embrace the solutions available to them. One thing’s for sure, though: There’s currently plenty to choose from.
