Working in hot weather can be dangerous. Anyone working outdoors or indoors in unconditioned air spaces in the hot, humid climate of Florida is vulnerable to the hazards of heat stress. Higher summer temperatures increase these risks.
The combination of heat, humidity and physical labor can lead to fatalities. In 1999, 34 workers died and 2,420 others experienced heat-related occupational injuries and illnesses serious enough to miss work.
Simple precautions, such as those listed on OSHA's Heat Stress Card, can prevent many heat-related deaths and injuries. Available in English and Spanish, this laminated fold-up card is free. It offers a quick reference about heat-related injuries, including warning signs and prevention tips:
How to Protect Workers
* Encourage workers to drink plenty of water - about 1 cup of cool water every 15 to 20 minutes, even if they are not thirsty - and to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks that dehydrate the body.
* Help workers adjust to the heat by assigning a lighter workload and longer rest periods for the first 5 to 7 days of intense heat. This process needs to start all over again when a worker returns from vacation or absence from the job.
* Encourage workers to wear lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing. Workers should change their clothes if they get completely saturated.
* Use general ventilation and spot cooling at points of high heat production. Good airflow increases evaporation and cooling of the skin.
* Train your workers to recognize the signs of heat stress, what to do to relieve the symptoms of heat stress and how to respond to a medical emergency caused by heat stress. Also train supervisors to detect early signs of heat-related illness and permit workers to interrupt their work if they become extremely uncomfortable.
* Consider a worker's physical condition when determining fitness to work in hot environments. Obesity, lack of conditioning, pregnancy, and inadequate rest can increase susceptibility to heat stress.
* Alternate work and rest periods, with rest periods in a cooler area. Shorter, more frequent work-rest cycles are best. When possible, schedule heavy work for cooler times of the day and use appropriate protective clothing.
* Monitor temperatures, humidity, and workers' responses to heat at least hourly.
Hot Weather Work Tips
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For a copy of OSHA's Heat Stress Card in English or Spanish: click on OSHA's website, www.osha.gov, then Newsroom, followed by Publications.
Fill out the order form online, and fax your request to Publications at (202) 693-2498. You can also call (202) 698-1888 or write to:
U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA, OSHA Publications, P.O. Box 37535
Washington, D.C. 20013-7535.
More information about heat and sun hazards can be found on OSHA's website, www.osha.gov and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) www.cdc.gov/niosh
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Additional.html to order OSHA 3154/3155 Printed: 1998
http://www.osha-slc.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf for copy in English
http://www.osha-slc.gov/Publications/osha3155.pdf for copy in Spanish
See above links for more information.