Heat Prevention
Heat Prevention
Excessive heat warnings have been issued in New Mexico during the summer months and this poses a real danger to individuals who must work in these conditions.
Keeping employees safe and aware of signs and symptoms of heat illness should be top priority at this time. Improvements can be made in many areas by using posters and other displays. Visuals stating the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke should be reviewed daily by workers with the information being easily accessible and to the point.
ONE HEAT RELATED DEATH IN OUR INDUSTRY IS ONE TOO MANY!
Resources
- Criteria for Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments CDC NIOSH publication about heat exposure and heat prevention standard. Note some interesting pages to view in this document:
- OSHA Prevent Heat Illness At Work An excellent addition to Heat Prevention materials. It states the importance of acclimatization, which is the key to most serious heat illnesses and fatalities. Nearly 3 out of 4 fatalities happen during the first week of work for new or returning workers. It takes 7-14 days to acclimatize.
- Heat APP from NIOSH This app is helpful as a screening tool.
- OSHA Resources
- Acclimatization, page 34.
- Drugs implicated in intolerance to heat, page 39.
- Classification, medical aspects, and first aid of heat-related illness, pages 48-51.
- Causes of abnormal colors of urine, page 155.
- Rest work schedules for workers wearing normal work clothing, page 76.
- Examples of physiological monitoring used to prevent heat-related illness, pages 120-123