BLR’s Safety Training
Presentations
Working in Hot Conditions
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
It’s Gonna Be a Hot One
 Shimmering heat waves dance on
the pavement
 Your clothing is soaked with sweat
 You feel dizzy, light-headed, and
sick to your stomach
 You’re thirsty, but you forgot your
water bottle at home
 If you’re not careful, you could be
a heat stroke victim
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Goals
 Heat-related Illnesses
 Prevention and Treatment
 Quiz
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Body’s Cooling System
 Blood circulates closer to the skin so
heat is lost
 Body sends sweat to the skin’s surface
 Sweat evaporates off the skin, cooling
the body
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Rash
 Hot and humid
environment—
sweat not removed
by evaporation
 Red, bumpy rash
that often itches
 Uncomfortable, making sleep difficult
 Treatment and prevention:
 Rest in a cool place
 Keep your skin dry and clean
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Syncope or Fainting
 Worker not acclimated
to the hot environment
 Worker stands still
in the heat
 Blood pools in the
legs, so less blood
goes to the brain
 Quick recovery after lying down in cool area
 Prevent by moving around rather than
standing still
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Cramps
 Painful muscle cramps
 Caused by the loss of your body’s
salt when sweating
 Treated/prevented by drinking
electrolyte liquids
 Severe cases require intravenous
saline solutions
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Exhaustion
 Loss of fluids and salt
 Worker feels weak, dizzy, or nauseous
 Skin clammy and moist, complexion
pale or flushed
 Treatment: rest in cool place, drink
electrolyte solution
 Severe cases: victims vomit or lose
consciousness
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Stroke
 Worker stops
sweating
 Symptoms include
hot and dry skin
 Confusion, convulsions,
or loss of consciousness
 Keep victim cool and
provide fluids
 Death without immediate
medical attention
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Heat Promotes Accidents
 Decreased strength, increased fatigue
 Reduced comprehension and ability
to retain information
 Safety procedures not followed
 Sweaty palms, fogged safety glasses
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Goals
 Heat-related Illnesses
 Prevention and Treatment
 Quiz
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
The Heat Equation
High Temperature
+ High Humidity
+ Physical Work
= Heat Illness
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Environmental Heat
Stress Factors
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Temperature
Humidity
Radiant heat
Air velocity
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
At Risk Occupations
 Metal foundries, brick-firing
plants, glass products facilities,
manufacturers of rubber
products, electrical utilities,
bakeries, commercial kitchens,
mining sites, steam tunnels,
construction, laundries, food
canneries, chemical plants,
petro-chemical workers, fire
fighters, and asbestos removal.
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Our Sensitivity to Heat
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Acclimatization
Age
Physical condition
Overall health
Metabolism
Use of alcohol or drugs
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Medical Surveillance
 Periodic medical
evaluation
 Determine risk of
developing heatrelated illness
 High-risk employees
removed from hot
working environments
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Engineering Controls
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General ventilation
Spot cooling
Shielding from radiant heat sources
Substitute machinery for manual labor
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Administrative Controls
 Schedule heavy work for a cooler
time of the year
 Do some jobs in the evening
or early morning
 Enforce breaks with longer
rest periods
 Allow workers to become
conditioned to the heat
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Administrative Controls (cont.)
 Reduce the physical demands of workers
 Use relief workers
 Limit the number of hours in the hot
work environment
 Pace the workers
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
PPE
 Cool clothing
 Shade-providing hats
 Portable water
products
 Reflective clothing
 Circulating air
around the body
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Water, Water, Water
 Drink water
 Drink electrolytebalanced fluids
 One cup every
15-20 minutes
 Avoid caffeine
and alcohol
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Worker Monitoring Programs
 Workers with a high risk of heat
illness should be monitored
 Check the heart rate at the beginning
of a rest period
 Check the pulse 2.5 minutes after
the break starts
 Oral temperature at end of work day
 Body water loss
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Investigate Heat-related Illness
 Describe events leading up to the incident
 Work being done at the time of the incident
 Length of time employee was working
before incident
 Engineering and administrative controls
 Appropriate PPE
 Medical screening and monitoring by
other employees
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Goals
 Heat-related Illnesses
 Prevention and Treatment
 Quiz
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Summary
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Heat-related illness can kill
Know the symptoms and first-aid response
Understand at-risk jobs
Reduce heat stress with engineering or
administrative controls
 Drink water, drink water, drink water
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz
1. Heat rash is caused by the sweat not evaporating from
your skin. Name the best way to treat and prevent heat
rash: ________________________________________
2. The primary cause of heat cramps is the loss of your
body’s salt when sweating. True or False
3. Drinking alcohol after a hard day of work in hot
conditions will replenish the body’s fluids.
True or False
4. __cup(s) of water should be consumed every __ minutes.
5. Besides temperature and humidity, name another
environmental factor that contributes to heat stress:
_____________________________________________
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Quiz (cont.)
6. Name one of the main symptoms of heat stroke:
__________________________________________
7. It usually takes a worker about 4-8 hours to
acclimatize to hot working conditions.
True or False
8. A worker suffering from heat exhaustion will
feel_______ and their skin will be_______.
9. Name engineering controls used by your company:
__________________________________________
10. Describe first aid for a heat stroke victim:
__________________________________________
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers
1. Treat and prevent heat rash by keeping your skin cool
and dry.
2. True.
3. False. Drinking alcohol will actually add to
dehydration or the body’s loss of water.
4. One cup of water should be consumed every 15-20
minutes.
5. Radiant heat and air velocity are other environmental
factors that contribute to heat stress.
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers (cont.)
6. A victim of heat stroke stops sweating and has hot and dry
skin.
7. False. A worker usually requires 5-7 days to acclimatize
to hot work conditions.
8. Someone suffering from heat exhaustion will feel dizzy,
weak, or nauseated, and the skin will be pale or flushed
and feel moist and clammy.
9. Engineering controls might include: ventilation, spot
cooling, shielding.
10. Immediately call for medical care (i.e., 911), move the
victim to a cool or shaded area, remove heavy clothing,
cool by fanning, wet clothes/skin, place ice in armpits and
groin area.
11006130/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.