Did you know the average person has 2.6 million sweat glands? This is our body’s natural defense against heat as these glands are activated when our brain tells our body to cool down. The human body is usually able to regulate it temperature through sweating, but if exposed to more heat than it can handle, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death could happen. With the usually hottest part of the summer right around the corner, it’s a good time to find ways to keep your workers as cool as possible and avoid heat stress.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the top three weather-event types that cause the most deaths are: 1) winter weather; 2) heat; 3) flood. In 2021, NOAA reported 201 people died and 67 were injured in the U.S. from weather-related excessive heat.

Heat stress has many possible illnesses ranging from heat strain to heat syncope. For a list and description of these illnesses, check out one of our past blogs. So what can you do to keep yourself and others safe in the heat? According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), here are four recommended precautions:

• Working shorter shifts until workers have become acclimated to the heat
• Staying hydrated and drinking BEFORE you get thirsty – all those sweat glands are hard at work, but you have to resupply your body’s water and electrolytes lost due to sweat
• Watch out for co-workers exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke
• Take time to rest and cool down

NIOSH and OSHA offer a couple tools to help employers keep workers in the know when it comes to the possibilities of dehydration and heat index:

• Hydration Check – Placement of urine color charts that compare the urine color of a hydrated person with that of a dehydrated person near your toilet facilities
• Heat Safety App – OSHA Heat Safety Tool lets workers calculate the heat index at their worksite and let’s them know instantly if they are in a high risk zone due to heat and humidity, as well as indicating the necessary precautions to take

Summer is here! Take steps now to stay cool and safe!

Summer is in full swing, and that means it’s time to start thinking about heat stress and workplace safety! Educating your workers on the many risk factors and signs of heat illnesses is key to helping protect them, as well as finding ways to keep them as cool as possible and well-hydrated. There is still some misinformation out there – or myths – when it comes to heat stress, so let’s uncover the biggest myths shared by NIOSH.

MYTH #1: The difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, you do not sweat during a heat stroke.

The real story: Heat stroke symptoms include such things as confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures and high body temperature. Victims may continue to produce sweat. Call 911 and do your best to cool the worker down.

MYTH #2: If you take a break in the air conditioning, you will ruin your acclimatization.

The real story: It takes a few days of non-heat exposure to reduce your acclimatization, so take those breaks in the A/C. It’s a very effective way to cool down in a fairly short period of time.

MYTH #3: Acclimatization will protect you during a heat wave.

The real story: It takes about 7-10 days for someone to become acclimatized to extreme environmental conditions, so if the temperature rises above normal quickly during a heat wave, the clock starts over. During extremely hot weather, workers need more breaks and maybe reschedule work hours to take advantage of the cooler parts of the day.

MYTH #4: Salt tablets will help restore electrolytes lost during sweating.

The real story: Do not use salt tablets unless directed by your doctor. Electrolytes are restored through normal meals and snacks. Ingestion of too much salt can cause nausea and vomiting, which worsens the level of dehydration already present during heat stress. Staying hydrated is key!

Something else to keep in mind, but not really a myth – your workers’ medication and health condition as these two factors can put your workers at a higher risk for heat exhaustion and illness. Some medications affect your body’s natural ability to cool down or may cause your body to heat up more quickly, and health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease may put your workers at greater risk of heat illnesses.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a new enforcement initiative that will target one of the agency’s top priorities after the appearance of COVID-19: indoor and outdoor heat-related workplace hazards.

Read entire article: OSHA Workplace Safety Heat Hazard Emphasis Program (natlawreview.com)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration is initiating enhanced measures to protect workers better in hot environments and reduce the dangers of exposure to ambient heat. While heat illness is largely preventable, and commonly under-reported, thousands of workers are sickened each year by workplace heat exposure.

Read entire article: https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/09202021

We are in the middle of summer, and heat stress in the workplace affects too many workers every year in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1992 and 2016, 783 workers died and more than 69,000 workers suffered serious injuries due to heat exposure on the job, which this number is challenged by labor advocates who say numbers are much higher because of under-reporting or not being classified as a work-related illness or death.

In our last blog, we covered all the terms associated with heat stress and its subsequent illnesses, but to recap - heat stress is a series of conditions where the body is under stress from overheating. Symptoms can range from profuse sweating to dizziness, cessation of sweating, and eventually collapse. Of course, high temperatures increase heat stress, but also increased relative humidity, decreased air movement, or lack of shading from direct heat can all contribute to heat stress.

Supervisor’s Role in Preventing Heat Stress
• Allow time for employees to adjust to hot jobs when possible (heat tolerance), which can take 2-3 weeks for an employee to become acclimated to the hot environment
• When possible, adjust the work schedule with heavier work assigned on cooler days or during the cooler part of the day
• On hot days, reduce the workload – and increase the use of equipment to reduce physical labor
• Establish a schedule for work and rest periods during hot days
• Train workers to recognize signs and symptoms of heat stress illnesses and be prepared to give first aid, if necessary
• Avoid placing "high risk" employees in hot work environments for extended time periods (older, overweight, heart disease, high blood pressure, take medication that may be affected by extreme heat)
• Provide auxiliary body cooling and protective clothing

Worker’s Role in Preventing Heat Stress
• Learn to recognize the symptoms of heat stress – and take adequate rest periods (in shade or cooler environment)
• Use adequate fans for ventilation and cooling, especially when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Wear light-colored, loose clothing (unless working around equipment with moving parts).
• Keep shaded from direct heat whenever possible - wear a hat in direct sunshine, find a shaded area when on breaks, etc.
• Drink plenty of water – the body requires more water than usual in hot environments

While most workers have the comfort of an air conditioned office during the hot days of summer, many are not quite so lucky. Workers who are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments could definitely be at risk for heat stress, which can result in occupational illnesses and injuries.

Workers at risk of heat stress include outdoor workers and those working in hot environments, such as firefighters, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room workers, bakery workers, factory workers and others. In this blog, we will cover CDC’s and NIOSH’s definitions of heat stress and the illnesses that can result from it.

Heat Stress
The net heat load to which a worker is exposed from the combined contributions of metabolic heat, environmental factors, and clothing worn which results in an increase in heat storage in the body.

Heat Strain
The physiological response to the heat load (external or internal) experienced by a person, in which the body attempts to increase heat loss to the environment in order to maintain a stable body temperature.

Heat Cramp
A heat-related illness characterized by spastic contractions of the voluntary muscles (mainly arms, hands, legs, and feet), usually associated with restricted salt intake and profuse sweating without significant body dehydration.

Heat Exhaustion
A heat-related illness characterized by elevation of core body temperature above 38°C (100.4°F) and abnormal performance of one or more organ systems, without injury to the central nervous system. Heat exhaustion may signal impending heat stroke.

Heat Stroke
An acute medical emergency caused by exposure to heat from an excessive rise in body temperature [above 41.1°C (106°F] and failure of the temperature-regulating mechanism. Injury occurs to the central nervous system characterized by a sudden and sustained loss of consciousness preceded by vertigo, nausea, headache, cerebral dysfunction, bizarre behavior, and excessive body temperature.

Heat Syncope
Collapse and/or loss of consciousness during heat exposure without an increase in body temperature or cessation of sweating, similar to vasovagal fainting except that it is heat induced.
Stay tuned as we will focus our next blog on heat stress in the workplace and what employers and employees can do to prevent heat stress.

It’s been a long winter – and a cold spring, but summer is just around the corner, which means hot weather is on its way. For the many people exposed to higher temperatures as part of their job duties, it’s time to review how to prevent heat-related illnesses (HRI’s). Every year, thousands of workers in the United States suffer from serious HRI’s, which if not addressed can quickly turn from heat exhaustion to heat stroke, which has killed on average 30 people every year since 2003. Jobs that are at a higher risk of HRI’s include, but are not limited to, firefighters, bakery workers, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room workers and factory workers.

You might wonder how does excessive heat affect the body? Our bodies usually maintain a stable internal temperature by circulating blood to the skin and through sweating, but when the outside temperature is close to or even warmer than normal body temperature, sweat may not be able to evaporate, so it’s less effective. If the body cannot get rid of the excess heat, it stores it, which causes an increase in core temperature and heart rate. If the body continues to store heat, you begin to lose concentration and have difficulty focusing, you may become irritable or sick and lose your desire to drink. The next stage is most often fainting and even possibly death. The body temperature can rise to 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes!

Five Categories of Heat-Related Illnesses

1. Heat Rash – caused by skin being constantly wet from sweat and plugged sweat glands (raised, red blistery rash)
2. Heat Cramps – caused by excessive loss of water and electrolytes, with cramps occurring in the legs and abdomen
3. Heat Syncope – caused by prolonged standing or sudden rising from a sitting or laying position (includes fainting or dizziness)
4. Heat Exhaustion – symptoms are pale skin, excessive sweating, headache, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision and dizziness, with the potential for fainting
5. Heat Stroke – symptoms are dry hot skin and a very high body temperature, skin is red but without sweat, and the person is incoherent or unconscious

Preventative Actions to Protect Employees

• Train and educate workers and supervisors on risk factors and early warning signs of HRI’s
• Provide cool drinking water near work areas and promote regular hydration before feeling thirsty
• Monitor temperature and humidity levels near work areas – incorporate a variety of engineering controls that can reduce workers’ exposure to hear including air conditioning, increase general ventilation, cooling fans, local exhaust ventilation, reflective shields to redirect radiant heat, insulation of hot surfaces, and elimination of steam leaks
• Implement a heat management program, so everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency
• Allow workers to distribute the workload evenly over the day, to rotate job functions and incorporate work/rest cycles, including if possible to allow heavier work scheduled for cooler times of the day
• Use the “buddy system” to monitor worker conditions
• Use safety supplies such as special cooling devices when using certain personal protective equipment
• Acclimate workers by exposing them for progressively longer periods of time to hot work conditions

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Employees

• Stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids
• Avoid dehydrating liquids, including alcohol, coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks
• Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing when possible
• Pace yourself and schedule frequent breaks in a shaded or air-conditioned area
• Use a damp rag to wipe your face or put around your neck
• Avoid direct sun and getting sunburnt – use sunscreen and wear a hat
• Be alert for signs of HRI’s
• Eat smaller meals – eat fruits high in fiber and natural juices and avoid high protein foods

We all know how hot it starts to get this time of year, but we don’t always appreciate how quickly heat-related stress can lead to serious health problems. Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States. To help call attention to that fact, the National Weather Service sponsors Heat Safety Awareness Day on the last Friday of May just a few weeks ahead of the official beginning of summer.

Heat safety awareness has year-round place in workplace safety plans, but it is especially important during the summer months.

Heat stress related injuries are often the result of the body’s inability to cope with prolonged exposure to extreme heat. It is of particular concern during the summer months, especially for people who work in factories, in construction, or on farms.

People at increased risk of heat stress include those 65 years of age or older, those who are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take medications that can be affected by extreme heat.
Being aware of the health and safety risks posed by exposure to heat in the workplace is a year-round concern, even in workplaces where temperatures can be regulated. In addition to burns from accidental direct contact with steam or hot surfaces, heat can also indirectly lead to other injuries by causing sweaty palms, fogged eyewear, and dizziness.

Preventing heat stress in employees is as important an aspect of safety plan design as any other. Employers need to educate workers on what heat stress is, how it affects their health and safety, and how it can be prevented.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) offers a number of resources on heat safety at work, from fact sheets and infographics to blog posts and planning documents available at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/.

A key aspect of employee safety involves training on how to limit heat exposure and how to identify signs of heat-related illness. We tend to think of heat-related illnesses as occurring most often in outdoor environments during the summer months, and with good reason. According to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011, 4,420 workers were affected by heat-related illnesses and 61 workers died as a result of them. Even indoors, heat exposure from various sources can lead to illness, accidents and unsafe work conditions in general. Not surprisingly, like an increasing number of life situations, there’s an app for that. Make that several.

OSHA’s heat stress app (OSHA Heat Safety Tool) “allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite.” That’s according to the agency’s website. When supplied with temperature and humidity information, the app makes a quick calculation to determine the heat index – a fairly realistic measure of what the environment actually feels like. The app goes a step further by offering specific precautions to take based on the calculated heat index. Useful as it may be in assessing a present situation, its value as a planning tool is limited.

Enter the Maximum Heat Index Forecasts page from the National Weather Service. While not a smartphone app, the page is easy to access from a variety of devices and provides the heat index forecast for the next five days.
The page starts off by showing the heat forecast three to seven days from the present date. By clicking on the small map in the left-most column for a given day, the user can view a larger, color-coded map filled with that date’s predicted maximum heat index values. It’s possible also to click on other cities in a given area to view a specific forecast presented in the form of a table. All this is great when you want to look ahead several days. In the short term – say, when you want to know about maximum index forecast for today or tomorrow – the NWS forecast webpage draws a blank.

The workaround? It’s possible to view an hour-by-hour heat index forecast from the local NWS forecast page.

Navigate to www.weather.gov and input your zip code or city. On the local forecast webpage, scroll down and click on the hourly weather forecast graph in the right column. Presto. There, in the top part of the graph, is the hourly heat index.
If all this seems very useful but a bit clunky, it also serves to point the way to the development of a streamlined app that can provide NWS heat index forecast information in real time. Web developers, take note.

With the wide temperature swings we’ve had here in the Midwest this spring, sometimes it can be hard to believe that summer and the heat-related health and safety concerns it brings is nearly here.

To draw attention to this fact, some states observe a Heat Safety Awareness or Heat Awareness Day each year in the mid- to late spring each year. Being aware of the health and safety risks posed by exposure to heat in the workplace is a year-round concern.

Heat stress related injuries are often the result of the body’s inability to cope with prolonged exposure to extreme heat. It is of particular concern during the hot summer months, particularly for people who work in factories, in construction, or in agriculture. In its materials – fact sheets, posters, quick cards, training guides, and wallet cards – OSHA makes it clear that workers at risk include anyone who is exposed to hot and humid conditions, especially anyone performing heavy work tasks and/or using bulky personal protective equipment. Those at greater risk of heat stress include people 65 years of age or older, those who are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take medications that can be affected by extreme heat.

Prevention of heat stress in employees is as important as any aspect of safety plan design. Employers need to train to workers to understand what heat stress is, how it affects their health and safety, and how it can be prevented. Heat can also indirectly lead to other injuries by causing sweaty palms and dizziness. With summer on our doorstep, now is a good time to review how your workplace safety plans address employee heat exposure through engineering controls and preventive work practices.

OSHA makes it clear that employers are responsible for providing workplaces that are safe from excessive heat. That can also include furnishing workers with water, rest and shade, as well as education about the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and their prevention. For example, being able to “take the heat” is a gradual process, and some workers might be at greater risk than others if they have not yet built up a tolerance to hot conditions. For those reasons, OSHA recommends allowing more frequent breaks for new workers or workers who have been away from the job for a week or more in order to acclimatize to conditions.

For its part, the agency is continuing its nationwide campaign to raise awareness and educate employers and workers on the hazards of working in the heat, along with steps to take in preventing heat-related illnesses and death. The message contained in the campaign’s slogan “Water, Rest, Shade” has already reached nearly 11 million people since it began in 2011, according to OSHA.

Worksite training and plans should also address the steps to take both to prevent heat illness and what to do in an emergency. Prompt, proper action really can save lives.

OSHA's main safety points for people who work in hot environments are:
•Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you're not thirsty.
•Rest in the shade to cool down.
•Wear a hat and light-colored clothing.
•Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency.
•Keep an eye on fellow workers.

OSHA maintains a dedicated webpage, https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html, that includes a heat safety tool app, a training guide and lesson plan, and other resources all aimed at keeping worker health and safety risks low when the mercury starts to head skyward.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a report on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's review of 20 heat-related enforcement cases from 2012 to 2013. OSHA's analysis suggests that the primary risk factor for heat fatalities is the lack of acclimatization programs.

Of the 13 enforcement cases involving worker fatalities, nine of the deaths occurred in the first three days of working on the job, while four of them occurred on the worker's first day. In all cases, heat illness prevention programs were found to be incomplete or absent and no provision was made for acclimatizing new workers to the heat.

Read entire article: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=26502