Safety Talk
Protect your Employees from the Heat Safety Meeting Ways to Protect Yourself and Others Ease into Work. Nearly 3 out of 4 fatalities from heat illness happen during the first week of work.
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Outdoor and indoor heat exposure can be dangerous.
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Slurred speech Seizures Loss of consciousness
Drink Cool Water Drink cool water even if you aren’t thirsty — at least 1 cup every 20 minutes. Take Rest Breaks Take enough time to recover from heat given the temperature, humidity, and conditions.
Watch for any other signs of heat illness and act quickly. When in doubt, call 911. If a worker experiences: Headache or nausea Weakness or dizziness Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin Elevated body temperature Thirst Decreased urine output
Abnormal thinking or behavior
Follow the 20% Rule. On the first day, work no more than 20% of the shift’s duration at full intensity in the heat. Increase the duration of time at full intensity by no more than 20% a day until workers are used to working in the heat.
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Prevent Heat Illness at Work
New and returning workers need to build tolerance to heat (acclimatize) and take frequent breaks.
First Aid for Heat Illness The following are signs of a medical emergency!
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CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
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COOL THE WORKER RIGHT AWAY WITH WATER OR ICE
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STAY WITH THE WORKER UNTIL HELP ARRIVES
Take these actions: Give cool water to drink Remove unnecessary clothing Move to a cooler area Cool with water, ice, or a fan Do not leave alone Seek medical care
Find Shade or a Cool Area Take breaks in a designated shady or cool location. Dress for the Heat Wear a hat and light-colored, loose-fitting, and breathable clothing if possible.
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Watch Out for Each Other Monitor yourself and others for signs of heat illness. If Wearing a Face Covering Change your face covering if it gets wet or soiled. Verbally check on others frequently.
In Texas, the summer heat has hit us early and hard. It is imperative that marketers are protecting employees who often find themselves working in the oppressive heat.
OSHA Tips
OSHA is setting up a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to protect employees from heat-related hazards and resulting injuries and illnesses in outdoor and indoor workplaces. This NEP expands on the agency’s ongoing heat-related illness prevention initiative and campaign by setting forth a targeted enforcement component and reiterating its compliance assistance and outreach efforts. This approach is intended to encourage early interventions by employers to prevent illnesses and deaths among workers during high heat conditions, such as working outdoors in a local area experiencing a heat wave, as announced by the National Weather Service. Visit OSHA at www.osha.gov for more information. It explains how to use the heat index to determine when extra precautions are needed at a worksite to protect workers from environmental contributions to heat-related illness. Workers performing strenuous activity, workers using heavy or
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non-breathable protective clothing, and workers who are new to an outdoor job need additional precautions beyond those warranted by heat index alone. Workers new to outdoor jobs are generally most at risk for heat-related illnesses. In almost half of the cases, the worker involved was on their first day of work and in 80% of the cases the worker involved had only been on the job for four or fewer days. That’s why it’s important to gradually increase the workload or allow more frequent breaks to help new workers and those returning to a job after time away
For more information: 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) TTY 1-877-889-5627 www.osha.gov/heat Federal law entitles you to a safe workplace. You have the right to speak up about hazards without fear of retaliation. See www.osha.gov/workers for information about how to file a confidential complaint with OSHA and ask for an inspection. OSHA 4135-06 2021
to build up a tolerance for hot conditions. Make sure that workers understand the risks and are acclimatized.
Heat-Related Illness
There are several levels of severity when you are talking about heat related illness. Of course, being aware and recognizing the less serious, earlier warning signs is best for everyone involved! Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, is skin irritation caused by sweat that does not evaporate from the skin. Heat rash is the most common problem in hot work
OSHA Case: Delivery worker A 50-year-old man had been working at a delivery company for six years. His job involved driving a vehicle and walking in residential neighborhoods to deliver mail and packages. In late May, the weather suddenly became hotter. On the second day of hot weather, this worker developed heat cramps and heat exhaustion. He was hospitalized for two days with acute kidney failure due to dehydration. His condition improved after intravenous fluid replacement. Lessons to learn from this case: Even experienced workers are vulnerable to heat-related illness when the weather becomes warmer. Throughout the first week of warmer conditions, treat all workers as if they need to adapt to working in the heat. Take extra precautions to protect them from heat-related illnesses. Make sure workers drink enough fluids during warm or hot weather.
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