/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. BLR’s Safety Training Presentations Working in Hot Conditions

/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

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Goals Heat-related Illnesses Prevention and Treatment Quiz

/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

/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

/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

/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

/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

/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

/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

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Goals Heat-related Illnesses Prevention and Treatment Quiz

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. The Heat Equation High Temperature + High Humidity + Physical Work = Heat Illness

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Environmental Heat Stress Factors Temperature Humidity Radiant heat Air velocity

/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.

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Our Sensitivity to Heat Acclimatization Age Physical condition Overall health Metabolism Use of alcohol or drugs

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Medical Surveillance Periodic medical evaluation Determine risk of developing heat- related illness High-risk employees removed from hot working environments

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Engineering Controls General ventilation Spot cooling Shielding from radiant heat sources Substitute machinery for manual labor

/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

/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

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. PPE Cool clothing Shade-providing hats Portable water products Reflective clothing Circulating air around the body

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Water, Water, Water Drink water Drink electrolyte- balanced fluids One cup every minutes Avoid caffeine and alcohol

/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

/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

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Goals Heat-related Illnesses Prevention and Treatment Quiz

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Summary 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

/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: _____________________________________________

/0103 Copyright © 2001 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 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: __________________________________________

/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 minutes. 5.Radiant heat and air velocity are other environmental factors that contribute to heat stress.

/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.