Heat Stress Prevention and Safe Work Practices in Extreme Heat

Date: 2025-08-26

Duration: [DURATION] minutes

Presenter: [PRESENTER NAME]

Location: [LOCATION]

Objective

The objective of this toolbox talk is to educate workers on how to prevent heat stress, recognize its symptoms, and implement safe work practices during extreme heat conditions to ensure their health and safety.

Introduction

This toolbox talk addresses the dangers of heat stress and provides guidelines for prevention and safe work practices during extreme heat conditions. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing heat stress symptoms, implementing control measures, and following emergency procedures to protect workers' health and safety.

Presenter Note: Begin by emphasizing the importance of heat safety, especially during the summer months. Share any recent incidents or near misses related to heat stress to highlight the relevance of the topic.

Key Points

• Impact of Warmer Weather: Extreme heat events can cause significant health issues such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat stress related illnesses. Higher temperatures for longer periods of time can increase the risk of injuries due to fatigue, lack of concentration, poor decision making, and other factors. A reduction in productivity may also occur. [7] [7]
• Acclimatization: Workers who are not yet acclimatized to the heat may find it more difficult to deal with the hot temperatures while performing their job. Control measures must be implemented to protect workers, and time given to allow workers to acclimatize to the heat. [4] [4]
• Heat Stress Plan: Develop and implement a heat stress plan which outlines the measures needed to prevent heat stress, as well as addressing extreme heat events. A heat stress plan may also be part of your emergency preparedness and response plans. The most effective strategies to protect workers are to implement preventive measures and controls to eliminate or minimize a worker's exposure to extreme heat. [3] [3] [3]
• Training: Train supervisors and workers on how prevent heat stress, and how to recognize the signs and symptoms. All workers should know how to respond if heat stress is suspected, and what to do in an emergency. [1] [1]
• Worker Responsibilities: Take breaks in cool and shaded areas and drink plenty of water during hot days. When appropriate, wear light and breathable clothing. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing to prevent sunburns. [1] [1] [1]
• First Aid Procedures: Develop first aid procedures to assist a person experiencing heat stress. Note that heat stroke is a medical emergency and medical help should be called immediately (911 or local emergency services). Provide first aid until medical helps arrives. [1] [1] [1]
• Work Planning: Review weather forecasts and pay attention to heat advisories when scheduling work that is done outdoors, is physically demanding, or in indoor spaces that are not temperature controlled. Reschedule the work, if possible. If this work can't be rescheduled, make sure workers take breaks, have a cool and shaded area to rest, and drink water often. They should be instructed to immediately stop work and report to their supervisor if they experience any signs of heat stress. [2] [2] [2] [2]
• Job Specific Controls: Provide mechanical aids to reduce the level of physical effort that is required for tasks (e.g., dollies, carts, lifting devices, etc.). Schedule physically demanding work for a cooler time of day. Rotate workers in and out of areas that are hot or tasks that are physically demanding, when possible. Organize work in way that reduces the pace to allow more rest time and time to drink water. Assign more workers to a task to reduce the level of effort required by each worker. [2] [2] [2] [2] [2]
• Work Environment Controls: Where possible, do not do physically demanding work in hot environments (e.g., change location or provide air conditioning). Review and improve the ventilation in the building, if needed (e.g., air conditioning, fans, dehumidifiers, etc.). Use barriers or insulation to shield workers from equipment that generates heat. Provide a cool and shaded area for breaks. Ensure workers have access to cool drinking water. [3] [3] [3] [3] [3]
• Air Quality: Hotter temperatures can increase the levels of air pollution and harmful exposures to workers, such as ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (e.g., smog). Poor air quality can be caused by increased sunlight, warmer temperatures, and the buildup of air contaminants due to stagnant air. The presence of air pollution combined with the sun's ultraviolet rays and heat results in a chemical reaction that produces ground-level ozone which is harmful to breathe. Wildfires and droughts (from wind-blown soil and dust) contribute to poor air quality. There may also be higher levels of allergy causing pollen in the air due to longer pollen seasons, and increased pollen production. [4] [4] [4] [4] [4]
• Mental Health: Increasing temperatures may cause elevated levels of stress on workers, including workers involved in emergency services. Outdoor workers may experience stress when they need to change their schedules and hours due to the temperature which can impact their work-life balance. [4] [4]
• Operational Impacts: Hot temperatures can cause equipment components to work harder and possibly wear out faster. This overheating may cause an increase in delays, unexpected disruptions, higher maintenance costs, and an increased risk of injuries for operators and anyone around the equipment. [4] [4]
• What can workers do?: Participate in education and training. Understand the signs and symptoms of heat stress and how to recognize in others. Notify your supervisor immediately if you or your coworkers begin experiencing any signs and symptoms. Immediately notify your supervisor if you have any health and safety concerns, such as working outdoors in extreme heat or when there is poor ventilation. Provide feedback and suggestions to your supervisor or the health and safety committee (or representative) about ways to make your work less physically demanding and more efficient. [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]
• Programs and Procedures: Develop or review a heat stress plan. Identify when heat stress controls are needed. Indicate how temperature, humidex, ambient air quality, and other factors that can cause heat stress will be monitored. Include details on work/rest cycles (e.g., when to shorten work periods and increase rest periods). Include heat stress controls specific to your work environment. Address extreme heat events in your emergency preparedness and response plans. Supervisors should check-in frequently with workers to identify potential heat stress symptoms. Have workers present who are trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Make sure other workers know who they are and how to contact them. [2] [2] [2] [2] [2] [2] [2] [2] [2]
• Additional Programs and Procedures: Ask the health and safety committee to address extreme heat events and climate change. Provide access to mental health resources (e.g., EAP) and consult with workers about scheduling, stress, and fatigue to encourage a psychologically safe work environment. [1] [1]
• Who is at Risk?: Extreme heat can put everyone at risk for heat-related illness, although health risks are greater for people with chronic illnesses, such as breathing difficulties or heart conditions, people that are pregnant, young children and older adults. [3]
• Work Planning and Job Specific Controls: Identify which tasks and work areas may be a risk to workers during an extreme heat event. [2]
• Management Program for Extreme Conditions: Review programs and conduct practice drills. Evaluate your program and the results of the drills. Elements of incident investigation may be helpful to structure this review. [5] [5] [5]
• Planning for Extreme Conditions: Planning for extreme conditions will include: On-site rescue procedures. Include conditions identified in hazard assessment in the emergency management plan where applicable. Include training specific to identified hazards, such as climate-related emergencies. Rescue equipment. Availability of first aid or medical assistance, including the response time or distance. Site evacuation plan. Coordination with other services (e.g., neighbouring organizations, police, fire, paramedic services, etc.). Location - remote VS. urban. Living/rest shelters (if needed). [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6]
• Management Program: A management program will help to manage and control the hazards and risks. This program is ideally part of the organization's overall occupational health and safety management system if one exits. Elements of a program for extreme conditions include: Procedures for safe work in the anticipated conditions. Emergency response and rescue plans. Use of monitoring systems, when available (e.g., cold, heat, humidity, etc.). Monitoring weather conditions. Communication between all parties involved. Transportation, including alternates if there is damage to the infrastructure (e.g., roads are closed). Work site design, where possible. Administrative controls used, including restricting access, safe work procedures, etc. Education and training for work in those conditions. Awareness of what controls are in place such as monitoring devices, guards, safety nets, warning signals (e.g., lights, horns), warning signs, working in a buddy system, etc. Assisting workers with psychological or cognitive demands. Fitness for work in those conditions. [6] [6] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5] [5]
• Emergency Planning: During an emergency, the need to make important decisions quickly, and lack of resources or trained personnel can lead to panic and poor judgement resulting in severe consequences. Workplaces with well developed emergency response plans will reduce the risk of worker injuries and incidents. In addition, workplaces can also prevent or minimize damage to property, equipment, materials, and the environment. [8] [8] [8]
• Vulnerability Assessment: The emergency response planning team should perform a vulnerability assessment to identify which extreme weather events could occur, and then determine what the hazards and risks would be to the workers and organization if those events were to happen. [8]
• Potential Hazards: Even though an extreme weather event has never happened, or has not happened in a long time in your area, does not mean it will not happen. Examples of potential hazards associated with climate emergencies include: Fires and explosions. Extreme temperatures and high winds. [8] [8] [8]
• Minimizing Risk: The risk of cold injuries and illnesses can be minimized by engineer controls, safe work practices, training and education, and appropriate clothing. [9]
• Engineering Controls: Provide radiant heaters at outdoor stations. Provide heated warming shelters such as tents, cabins, or rest rooms. Shield workstations from wind or drafts. Insulate materials such as metal handles on equipment when working in below-freezing conditions. [9] [9] [9] [9]
• Administrative Controls: Have a buddy system so workers can look out for one another and help each other recognize the early symptoms of cold injuries and illnesses. Pace the work to avoid excessive sweating. Allow proper warming areas where workers can change into dry clothes if sweating cannot be avoided. Give new employees enough time to acclimatize to the cold and the protective clothing before assuming a full workload. Provide warm liquids to workers. Schedule work that involves heavy physical activity during warmer parts of the day. Rotate workers on tasks to decrease exposure to cold. If working on board, the schedule shifts away from stormy conditions when workers may fall overboard. [9] [9] [9] [9] [9] [9] [9] [9]
• Emergency Procedures: Procedures for providing first aid and obtaining medical care should be outlined. At least one trained person should be assigned the responsibility of attending to emergencies for each shift. [9] [9]

Hazard Identification

Extreme heat poses significant health risks to workers. It is crucial to identify potential hazards and implement preventive measures to minimize exposure and ensure safety.

• Heat stroke: Medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention; can lead to organ damage or death if not treated promptly. (Risk: High)
• Heat exhaustion: Fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headache, muscle cramps; can progress to heat stroke if not addressed. (Risk: Medium)
• Dehydration: Reduced physical and mental performance, increased risk of heat-related illnesses. (Risk: Medium)
• Sunburn: Skin damage, increased risk of skin cancer with prolonged exposure. (Risk: Low)
• Poor air quality: Respiratory disease, heart disease, and allergies. [4]

(Risk: Medium)

Presenter Note: Encourage workers to share their experiences with heat-related symptoms and hazards. Discuss specific work tasks or areas where heat exposure is a concern.

Control Measures

• Provide readily accessible cool drinking water at all work locations.: Ensure water is available and encourage frequent hydration. [3]
• Establish mandatory rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.: Schedule regular breaks to allow workers to cool down and recover. [3]
• Modify work schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day.: Start work earlier or later to minimize exposure during peak heat hours. [2]
• Use mechanical aids to reduce physical strain.: Provide dollies, carts, and lifting devices to minimize exertion. [2]
• Implement a buddy system to monitor workers for signs of heat stress.: Ensure workers are paired up to observe each other for symptoms and provide assistance. [9]
• Improve ventilation in indoor work areas.: Use fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers to enhance air circulation and reduce humidity. [3]

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements

• Light and Breathable Clothing: Light-colored, loose-fitting, and breathable clothing reflects heat and allows for better air circulation. [2]
• Wide-Brimmed Hats: Wide-brimmed hats provide shade and protect the head and face from direct sunlight.
• Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen with a high SPF to protect exposed skin from harmful UV rays; reapply frequently. [1]
• Sunglasses: Wear sunglasses with UV protection to shield eyes from sun glare.

Group Discussion

Discuss the following questions:

1. What are the early signs of heat stress that you have experienced or observed in others?
2. What are some additional ways we can improve our work practices to reduce heat exposure?
3. How can we better communicate heat-related hazards and control measures on the job site?

Presenter Note: Facilitate an open discussion, ensuring everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas. Summarize key points and emphasize the importance of teamwork in preventing heat stress.

Emergency Procedures

1. Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress (e.g., headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness).
2. Move the affected person to a cool, shaded area.
3. Provide cool water to drink and encourage small, frequent sips.
4. If symptoms worsen or do not improve, seek immediate medical attention.

Summary

Recap of main points:

• Heat stress is a serious hazard that can lead to severe health consequences.
• Prevention through proper planning, acclimatization, and control measures is crucial. [4]
• Recognizing symptoms early and responding quickly can save lives.
• Staying hydrated, taking breaks, and wearing appropriate PPE are essential for working safely in hot conditions. [1]

Action Items

Specific actions participants should take:

1. Review and understand the company's heat stress prevention plan.
2. Monitor yourself and your coworkers for signs of heat stress. [9]
3. Report any heat-related concerns or hazards to your supervisor immediately. [1]

Remember: Stay Cool, Stay Safe: Preventing Heat Stress Together

Report all hazards, near-misses, and incidents to your supervisor immediately.

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