Managing the Risks of Working in the Heat
The weather is warming up! Everyone needs to be aware of the common effects of working in heat and how to prevent heat-related illness.
Some common effects of working in heat include:
- Heat rash - Skin can become irritated and cause discomfort when working in heat.
- Heat cramps - Muscles can cramp as a result of heavy sweating without replacing salt and electrolytes.
- Fainting - Can occur when workers stand or rise from a sitting position.
- Dehydration - Increased sweating can lead to dehydration if workers aren’t drinking enough water.
- Heat exhaustion - Occurs when the body is working too hard to stay cool.
- Heat stroke - Occurs when the body can no longer cool itself. This can be fatal.
- Burns - Can occur if a worker comes into contact with hot surfaces or tools.
- Slips - A worker will sweat more in hot conditions which can increase the risk of slips - for example, a worker might slip when using sharp tools if their hands are damp.
- Reduced concentration - When working in heat it is more difficult to concentrate and a worker may become confused. This means workers may be more likely to make mistakes, such as forgetting to guard machinery.
Increased chemical uptake into the body - Heat can cause the body to absorb chemicals differently and can increase the side effects of some medications.
How can you manage the risks?
1. Identify the hazard
Heat is a hazard in many Australian workplaces, whether work is performed indoors or outdoors. To find out if it is a hazard in your workplace, consider:
- air temperature
- air flow
- humidity
- radiant heat sources
- work requirements, and
- the workplace itself.
2. Assess the risk
A risk assessment can help you determine:
- how severe the risk is
- whether existing control measures are effective
- what action you should take to control the risk, and
- how urgently you need to take action.
To assess the risk you should consider:
- what is the impact of the hazard, and
- how likely is the hazard to cause harm.
How hot a worker feels will be different in every situation, depending on the individual worker, the work they are doing and the environment in which they are working.
3. Control the risk
You must do everything that is reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks associated with working in heat. This may include cancelling certain work tasks, rescheduling tasks to cooler parts of the day or waiting for hot conditions to pass. If you cannot eliminate the risk, you must minimise it as much as reasonably practicable.
- Where possible, have workers do the work elsewhere
- Organise work to minimise physically demanding tasks
- Modify targets and work rates to make the work easier and reduce physical exertion.
- Modify targets and work rates to make the work easier and reduce physical exertion.
- Modify uniforms or required dress codes so workers can wear cooler, more breathable clothing.
- Ensure workers are not working alone.
- Establish work-rest schedules.
- Encourage workers to pace themselves.
4. Review the control measures
You must review control measures to ensure that they are working as planned and that they do not introduce new uncontrolled risks.
First Aid Checklist
| Symptoms | First Aid |
|---|---|
| Dehydration - Mild to severe thirst, dry lips and tongue, slowed mental function and lowered performance, reduced or dark urine output. | Drink water, loosen tight clothing and remove unnecessary clothing, in cases of extreme heat or dehydration, replace electrolytes. |
| Heat Rash - Itchy rash with small raised red spots on the face, neck, back, chest or thighs. | Move to a cooler, less humid environment, keep the affected are dry, apply a cold compress. |
| Heat Cramps - Painful and often incapacitating cramps in muscles, particularly when undertaking demanding physical work. | Stop activity and rest quietly in a cool place until recovered, drink an electrolyte solution. |
| Fainting - Can occur while standing or rising from a sitting position. | Lie the worker flat immediately with their legs slightly raised, do not raise the head. Treat as for heat exhaustion. |
| Heat Exhaustion - Dehydration, sweating, elevated body temperature, weakness or fatigue, headaches / dizziness, nausea and muscle cramps | Call Ambulance Immediately. Move the worker to a cool place, lie worker flat, remove unnecessary clothing and loosen tight clothing, provide cool water to drink, apply cool compress. |
| Heat Stroke - Person stops sweating, skin can be pink, warm and dry or cool and blue, high body temperature above 39 degrees, cramps, pounding and rapid pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea, clumsiness, disorientation or impaired judgement, irritability and mental confusion, collapse, seizures and unconsciousness. | Call Ambulance Immediately. Move the worker to a cool place, lie worker flat, remove unnecessary clothing and loosen tight clothing, provide cool water to drink, apply cool compress, provide electrolyte solution. If cardiac arrest occur, follow DRSABCD action plan |
