No matter the time of year, it's important to review the best ways to stay cool at work as heat-related illnesses are a matter of concern.
If you work outdoors planting trees, inside a mill, or year-round in hot environments like bakeries, foundries, or underground mines, keep in mind that serious heat-related disorders like heat exhaustion can develop days after dehydration from exposure to high temperatures.
Your body's cooling system is put under stress in hot environments. It can result in heat-related illnesses, disabilities, and even death if untreated. Anyone can experience this.
Keep reading to find details on heat stress and heat-related illnesses, as well as general tips for staying cool for your own safety and the safety of others.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can both be severe heat stress symptoms, as can minor heat rash or sunburn. The main signs of dehydration and heat stress are as follows:
If you or someone around you presents with any of these symptoms, try to cool off, stay hydrated, and consult a doctor immediately if possible.
There are a number of different illnesses that can be caused by heat stress, and many of them are serious. Some may result in injury or even death, so it's important to make sure you and everyone you work with are aware of the dangers as they work.
Itchy, red marks on the skin brought on by hot, humid conditions and clogged sweat ducts.
Fainting can be caused by cool water intake deficiencies and fluid loss. You might not have any symptoms prior to losing consciousness, but if you do, the most common signs are a weak pulse and cold, clammy skin.
The collapse of your body's cooling system results in heat stroke, which carries a significant risk of permanent harm to your organs and organ systems. When sick, some sufferers are unable to sweat and are not very active, whereas other sufferers are still sweating and engaged in physical activity.
Due to excessive perspiration, muscle soreness in overused areas like the arms, legs, or stomach is brought on by a salt imbalance. This can occur while working or later at home.
Heat exhaustion results from the malfunction of your biological cooling system. Some signs include heavy sweating, skin that is cold to the touch, weak pulse, and nausea.
In order to protect yourself and one another from heat stress, it's important to have an action plan in place to maintain awareness of heat stress factors and respond to potential risks as soon as possible. Some of the best ways to manage heat stress and protect against heat disorders are as follows:
As an employer, having an effective action plan in place to address the potential risk of heat stress is an essential part of keeping your workers safe. Here are some of the things you can do as an employer to protect workers at your business: