1. Bi-Weekly Safety Meeting
June 13, 2013
HEAT STRESS

2. What You Need to Know
Employees who are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress.
Exposure to extreme heat can result in illnesses and injuries including:
heat stroke
heat exhaustion
heat syncope
heat cramps
heat rash

3. What You Need to Know
Heat can also increase the risk of injuries as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged-up safety glasses, and dizziness.

4. Body’s Cooling System
In extreme heat and high humidity evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain normal temperature
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

5. The Heat Equation High Temperature + High Humidity + Physical Work
= Heat Illness

6. Additional Heat Stress Factors
Radiant heat
Air velocity

7. Personal Sensitivity To Heat
Acclimatization (getting used to heat)
Physical condition and overall health
Age
Metabolism
Use of alcohol
Take into account your own sensitivity to heat!

8. Indoor Heat Stress
Heat Stress if not a risk that is exclusive to workers laboring under the hot sun all day. There are a number of factors that can contribute to a hot indoor environment:
Radiant Heat Sources
Machinery
Tools
Appliances
Wearing heavy or thick protective gear
Direct physical contact with hot objects
Strenuous physical activities
Poorly ventilated areas and equipment

9. Indoor Heat Stress Example: Biopharm Clean Room Environment
Taking everyday clothing as a baseline, commonly worn suits in clean‐rooms (i.e., Tyvek) can add the equivalent of 10.6°C to the heat stress of workers. 
Given the added heat effects from these suits along with heat from isolator cabinets, heat stress is a serious potential threat to workers in clean‐rooms.

10. Different Types of Heat Illness
Heat Rash
Heat Syncope (Fainting)
Heat Cramps
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Stroke

11. Heat Rash Hot, humid environments where sweat can’t evaporate
Red, bumpy rash that often itches
Uncomfortable, making sleep difficult
Treatment and prevention:
Rest in a cool place
Keep your skin dry and clean

12. Heat Syncope (Fainting)
Worker not used to hot environment
Worker stands still in heat
Blood pools in the legs, so less blood goes to the brain
Quick recovery after lying down in cool place
Prevent by moving around a little rather than standing still all the time

13. Heat Cramps Painful muscle cramps Caused by loss of salt when sweating
Treated/prevented by drinking electrolyte liquids
Severe cases require intravenous saline solutions

14. Heat Exhaustion Second most serious type of heat illness
Loss of fluids and salt
Feeling weak, dizzy, or nauseous
Skin is clammy and complexion is pale or flushed
Treatment:
Rest in cool place
Drink electrolyte solution
Severe cases: victims vomit or lose consciousness (call for emergency medical services immediately when these symptoms occur)

15. Heat Stroke The MOST serious type of heat illness
Victim stops sweating
Symptoms include hot, dry skin
Confusion, convulsions, or loss of consciousness may follow
Call for an ambulance immediately
Keep victim cool and provide fluids if conscious

16. Heat Can Also Cause Accidents
Decreased strength, increased fatigue
Reduced comprehension and ability to retain information
Safety procedures not followed; cutting corners, frustration, ignore safety policies, etc.
Other risks: sweaty hands, fogged up glasses, etc.

17. Engineering Controls a method for reducing the risks
General ventilation; prime control of reducing heat in the workplace
Spot cooling; removing the heat before it reaches nearby workers

18. Engineering Controls (cont.)
Shielding from radiant heat sources; heat-resistant shields (indoors) or tent-like devices (outdoors)
Substituting machinery for manual labor

19. Administrative Controls
Schedule heavy work for a cooler time of year or in the evening and early morning
Allow more frequent breaks or longer rest periods
Allow time to become conditioned to heat (acclimatization)
Limit hours on hot work environments
Pace the work

20. PPE Shade-providing hats Portable water products Reflective clothing
Systems that circulate air around the body

21. Medical Surveillance Periodic medical evaluation
Determining risk of heat-related illness
Removing high-risk employees from hot working environments

22. Investigating Heat-Related Illness
When preventative measure fail, we will investigate by looking at...
Events leading up to the incident
Work being done at time of incident
Length of time employee working
Engineering and administrative controls
PPE
Medical surveillance and worker monitoring

23. Flash Report First Aid, Mangan Renewables El Centro, CA – 6/13/2012
Employee was working on roof from 0600 to 0900 and started feeling weak and light-headed. Supervisor instructed employee come down off roof, rest in the shade, and hydrate.
Follow Up: Provide additional water coolers on roof and shade areas. If necessary, additional breaks.

24. Water, Water, Water drinking fluids cannot be overemphasized!
Drink plenty of water all day
Drink electrolyte-balanced fluids if you sweat a lot
Drink at least one cup of fluid every minutes when working in hot conditions
Avoid caffeine and alcohol

25. UV Damage Protection
Protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach.
UV rays from the sun can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days.
UV rays also reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.
The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) are the most hazardous for UV exposure outdoors

26. UV Damage Protection Shade, Clothing, Hats, UVA/UVB Safety glasses
Sunscreen
The sun's UV rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes.
Put on sunscreen before you go outside, even on slightly cloudy or cool days.
Don't forget to put a thick layer on all parts of exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back.
Use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15.
Sunscreen wears off. Re-apply if out in the sun for more than two hours, and after swimming or sweating
Check the sunscreen's expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

27. Key Points to Remember
Working in hot conditions can affect your health and safety
Understand the risks and the precautions
Know symptoms of heat-related illness and first-aid response
Use all available measures to reduce heat stress and keep safe and healthy when working in hot conditions