Kelly Yamanouchi | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) For people who work outside or in hot conditions, it can be perilous when temperatures rise during the summer months. The U.S.
Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration warns that thousands of people become ill from occupational heat exposure every year — and some people die from heat exposure at work. The start of the summer season when the mercury rises can be a dangerous period. That’s because most outdoor deaths due to heat exposure occur in the first few days of working in a hot environment “because the body needs to build a tolerance to the heat gradually over time,” according to OSHA’s website on heat exposure .
The agency says employers have a duty to protect workers against heat , and should provide adequate cool water, rest breaks, and shade or a cool rest area for employees. Specifically, OSHA says employers should encourage workers to drink water every 15 minutes and ensure they take frequent rest breaks in the shade. New workers should have a chance to gradually acclimatize to heat, be trained for emergencies and to monitor for heat symptoms.
Employers should also have an emergency plan to respond when someone shows signs of heat-related illness. OSHA says risk factors for heat illness at work include heavy physical activity, warm or hot environmental conditions, lack of acclimatization and wearing clothing that holds in body heat. Workers in hot environments indoors .