Avoiding heat stress, and other heat-induced disorders.
It’s been hot this summer, it’s still hot and indications are that our summers will only
get hotter.
Age, weight, degree of physical fitness and acclimatisation, dehydration, metabolism, use of alcohol or medications, and a variety of medical conditions all affect a person’s sensitivity to heat and this, in turn, can affect not only their performance in the workplace but, more critically, their safety and sometimes the safety of their colleagues.
Heat stress occurs when the body’s means of controlling its internal (core) temperature starts to fail. As well as air temperature, factors such as work rate, humidity and clothing worn while working may lead to heat stress.
Managers and workers must therefore be aware of how to work safely in heat, the factors that can lead to heat stress, and how to reduce the risk of it occurring, advises health and safety specialist, Safety ‘n Action.
The Effects of Heat on the Body
As the body’s temperature rises, the nervous system goes to work to stimulate the eccrine glands to release sweat. Sweat is made up of water, sodium and other substances, and as it evaporates it helps cool the body down. When the body is unable to cool itself by sweating, generally through a lack of body fluids (water and salts [sodium]), you may not have enough body fluids for your body to carry out normal functions easily. If left unchecked, heat-induced illnesses, such as heat stress, heat exhaustion, and the more severe heat stroke, can occur.
What is sodium?
Sodium is an essential electrolyte that helps maintain the balance of water in and around your cells. Sodium is important for proper muscle and nerve function, and also helps to maintain stable blood pressure levels.
Heat Stress
Heat stress occurs when your body can no longer regulate your temperature and you become too hot. Heat stress can affect individuals in different ways, and some people are more susceptible to it than others.
Typical symptoms of heat stress include; an inability to concentrate, heat rash, severe thirst and fainting. Heat stress naturally leads to two other heat-induced disorders – heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion happens when someone sweats excessively and does not drink enough fluids and/or take in enough salt.
Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity.
Typical symptoms of heat exhaustion include; fatigue, heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, giddiness, nausea, headache, slightly elevated body temperature and pale and clammy (moist) skin that may be flushed.
Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke – a life-threatening condition.
Heat Stroke
With heat stroke, the body can no longer maintain its core temperature, sweating stops, and the body temperature rises. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that can lead to death.
Typical symptoms include; hot dry skin, confusion, convulsions and eventual loss of consciousness.
Tips on avoiding heat Stress, and other heat-induced disorders
When temperatures climb, remember to:
1. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-coloured clothing and avoid sunburn.
2. Seek a cooler workplace (work in the shade).
3. Limit/reduce time spent in the heat (rotate workers/reschedule rosters).
4. Apply cooling measures (introduce fans or ice towels).
5. Drink plenty of fluids (before, during and after); especially when working in the sun (avoid caffeine and alcohol).
6. Take extra precautions with certain medications (seek medical advice if necessary).
7. Avoid hot spots (boilers, heat exchangers, dryers).
8. Let your body acclimatise to the heat.
Training
Management and workers should be trained to identify the risks of heat stress associated with their work, what symptoms to look out for, safe working practices to avoid or mitigate the effects and emergency procedures for dealing with heat stress. Safety ‘n Action’s Hazard and Risk Management course may benefit your company.
Monitor Health
As with other risks that may affect the health and safety of workers, it may be necessary to monitor workers exposed to the risk of heat stress. Where necessary, you should seek advice from occupational health professionals with a good working knowledge of the risks associated with working in heat stress situations.
Don’t forget – it’s not just the summer months. In many jobs heat stress is an issue all year round such as in boiler rooms, bakeries, laundries, foundries and smelting operations.
Safety ‘n Action is a New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) accredited private training establishment that delivers training in Occupational Health and Safety. As a nationwide provider, training is delivered directly at the client’s site or at one of its purpose-built training centres.
New Course
Hazard and Risk Management (HARM)
Ensuring hazards and risks, like heat, are effectively managed, reduces the chance of an accident occurring in the workplace. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 (HASWA), having a systematic risk and hazard management process to identify actual and potential sources of harm, is a requirement for New Zealand businesses.
Safety ’n Action, New Zealand’s leading provider of NZQA accredited health and safety training, offers a Hazard and Risk Management course to support businesses, contractors and workers throughout New Zealand.
The course covers the concepts, processes and procedures required to identify, control and monitor risks in the workplace, as well as the new legislation. It also covers the Risk Management Cycle that can be be executed in the workplace, giving every worker the opportunity to be involved in and to be responsible for eliminating or minimising potential hazards.
To ensure the course is relevant to the workplace, Safety ’n Action gathered feedback from a number of organisations and aligned this with industry best practice around hazard and risk procedures and processes to create a course that is highly practical and targeted to industry.
Available as both an open public course and a company-booked course, delivery takes place at one of our ten purpose-fitted training centres or on-site at company premises.
The company’s training centres are in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Palmerston North, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Hamilton and Morrinsville.
Safety ‘n Action has just launched a new Hazard and Risk Management (HARM) on line training programme, for the reassessment of the HARM unit standards. The on-line course is a great way for employees to reassess on the unit standards at a time that works for them.
For more information on Safety’n Action’s Health and Safety training visit www.safetynaction.co.nz or
phone 0200 222 388.
