Heat stress in the workplace. What you need to know as an employer

●●●working climate - this includes air temperature,humidity, air movement and effects of workingnear a heat source;worker clothing and respiratory protectiveequipment - may impair the efficiency of sweatingand other means of temperature regulation;worker’s age, build and medical factors - mayaffect an individual’s tolerance.Firstly, you will need to talk to the workers involved(and their safety representatives), to see whether theyare suffering early signs of heat stress. If it seems likelythat there is a problem, you may need to consult withpeople who are more experienced in determining therisk from hot environments, eg occupational hygienists,nurses or doctors.How can I reduce the risks?Remove or reduce the sources of heat where possible:●●●●●●Control the temperature using engineeringsolutions, eg- change the processes,- use fans or air conditioning,- use physical barriers that reduce exposure toradiant heat.Provide mechanical aids where possible toreduce the work rate.Regulate the length of exposure to hotenvironments by:- allowing workers to enter only when thetemperature is below a set level or at coolertimes of the day,- issuing permits to work that specify how longyour workers should work in situations wherethere is a risk,- providing periodic rest breaks and rest facilitiesin cooler conditions.Prevent dehydration. Working in a hotenvironment causes sweating which helps keeppeople cool but means losing vital water that mustbe replaced. Provide cool water in the workplaceand encourage workers to drink it frequently insmall amounts before, during (this is not possible insome situations eg respiratory protective equipmentuse or asbestos removal) and after working.Provide personal protective equipment.Specialised personal protective clothing isavailable which incorporates, for example,personal cooling systems or breathable fabrics.This may help protect workers in certain hotenvironments. Protective clothing or respiratoryprotective equipment is often required when therewill be exposure to some other hazard at work egasbestos. This type of equipment, while protectingfrom the other hazard, may increase the risk ofheat stress.Provide training for your workers, especiallynew and young employees, telling them about therisks of heat stress associated with their work,what symptoms to look out for, safe workingpractices and emergency procedures.●●●Allow workers to acclimatise to theirenvironment and identify which workers areacclimatised/assessed as fit to work in hotconditions.Identify employees who are more susceptibleto heat stress either because of anillness/condition or medication that mayencourage the early onset of heat stress, egpregnant women or those with heart conditions.Advice may be needed from an occupationalhealth professional or medical practitioner.Monitor the health of workers at risk. Where itis considered that a residual risk remains afterimplementing as many control measures aspracticable, you may need to monitor the health ofworkers exposed to the risk. You should then seekadvice from occupational health professionals witha good working knowledge of the risks associatedwith working in heat stress situations.Further readingNew and expectant mothers at work: A guide foremployers HSG122 (Second edition) HSE Books 2002ISBN 0 7176 2583 4British Occupational Hygiene Society Technical guideNo 12 The thermal environment (Second edition)H and H Scientific Consultants Ltd 1996ISBN 0 948237 29 5Further informationHSE priced and free publications are available by mailorder from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, SuffolkCO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced publicationsare also available from bookshops and free leaflets canbe downloaded from HSE’s website: www.hse.gov.uk.)For information about health and safety ring HSE’sInfoline Tel: 08701 545500 Fax: 02920 859260e-mail: hseinformationservices@natbrit.com or write toHSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park,Caerphilly CF83 3GG.This leaflet contains notes on good practice which arenot compulsory but which you may find helpful inconsidering what you need to do.© Crown copyright This publication may be freelyreproduced, except for advertising, endorsement orcommercial purposes. First published 08/03. Pleaseacknowledge the source as HSE.Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive GEIS1 08/03 C500