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Managing Heat Stress at Work-Safety Presentation

Heat stress at work can occur when working in hot conditions such as direct sunlight, high humidity, or industrial settings like foundries. It can lead to heat-related illnesses from mild heat rash and heat cramps to more serious conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To prevent heat stress, workers should drink fluids regularly, reduce activity levels and heat exposure, check on coworkers for signs of illness, and know the signs and first aid treatments for different heat-related conditions.

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Leizel Ann Gorgonio
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108 views12 pages

Managing Heat Stress at Work-Safety Presentation

Heat stress at work can occur when working in hot conditions such as direct sunlight, high humidity, or industrial settings like foundries. It can lead to heat-related illnesses from mild heat rash and heat cramps to more serious conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To prevent heat stress, workers should drink fluids regularly, reduce activity levels and heat exposure, check on coworkers for signs of illness, and know the signs and first aid treatments for different heat-related conditions.

Uploaded by

Leizel Ann Gorgonio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HEAT STRESS

Managing heat stress at work


Overview
Working when it’s hot puts stress on your body’s cooling system.
When ignored, it can lead to heat-related illness, disability and
even death. This can happen to anybody.
Heat stress can get worse when combined with:
•physical work
•loss of fluids
•fatigue
•a pre-existing medical condition
Causes of heat stress
• Factors that can cause heat stress include:
• working in direct sunlight in the summer months
• humidity in the workplace (more than 50% relative humidity)
• working in certain workplaces such as foundries, smelters,
chemical plants, bakeries and commercial kitchens
• working in mines, especially deep mines with geothermal
gradients
• working in mines with equipment that radiates heat
Illnesses due to heat stress
• Heat rash
• Heat cramps
• Fainting
• Heat exhaustion
• Heat stroke
Heat rash
Red bumps on skin with severe itching caused by hot humid environments and
plugged sweat glands.

• Treatment
Change into dry clothes and avoid hot environments. Rinse
your skin with cool water.
• Prevention
Wash regularly to keep skin clean and dry.
Heat cramps
Muscle pain in overworked areas such as arms, legs or stomach caused by a salt imbalance from heavy sweating. This can happen at
work or later at home.

• Treatment
• You should:
• not take salt tablets
• move to a cool area
• loosen clothing
• gently massage and stretch affected muscles
• drink cool, slightly salted water or a beverage with electrolytes
• If the cramps are severe or don’t go away after drinking salt water or a beverage with
electrolytes, get medical help right away.
• Prevention
• You should:
• reduce activity levels
• reduce heat exposure
• drink fluids regularly
• check on your coworker(s) for any irregular behaviour
Fainting
Caused by fluid loss and not enough water intake. Before losing consciousness, you may not experience any warning symptoms but if you do,
the common signs are:
cool, moist skin
weak pulse

• Treatment
• You should:
• get medical attention
• move to a cool area
• loosen clothing
• lie down
• if awake, sip some cool water
• Prevention
• You should:
• reduce activity levels
• reduce heat exposure
• drink fluids regularly
• check on your coworker(s) for any irregular behaviour
• avoid standing in one place for too long
Heat exhaustion
Caused by the breakdown of your body’s cooling system. Symptoms can include
•heavy sweating
•cool, moist skin
•body temperature above 38°C
•weak pulse
•low blood pressure
•tired and weak
•nausea and vomiting
•very thirsty
•panting or breathing rapidly
•blurred vision
• Prevention
• You should:
• reduce activity levels
• reduce heat exposure
• drink fluids regularly
• check on your coworker(s) for any irregular behaviour
Heat stroke
Heat stroke is caused by the breakdown of your body’s cooling system and has a high risk
of irreversible damage to body organs and organ systems. Some people with heat stroke
lose the ability to sweat and are not very physically active when ill (classic heat stroke), while
others experience heat stroke while still sweating and active (exertional heat stroke).

Symptoms include:
•high body temperature (above 40°C)
•a fast pulse
•headache or dizziness
•passing out
•weakness, confusion or acting strangely
•hot, dry, red skin (classic heat stroke) or profusely sweating (exertional heat stroke)
Treatment
• You should:
• call an ambulance
• remove excess clothing
• drink and spray cool water
Prevention
• You should:
• reduce activity levels
• reduce heat exposure
• drink fluids regularly
• check on your coworker(s) for any irregular behaviour

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