You don’t have to be spending hours out in the sun to become susceptible to the impact of heat stress. Summer heat can just as easily become a serious safety concern in indoor environments such as warehouses, workshops and manufacturing facilities.
Radiant heat can easily penetrate a building's roof and raise workplace temperatures to an unsafe level, especially in situations where workers are engaged in strenuous or prolonged physical activity.
As with any workplace health and safety risk, employers have a duty of care under WHS laws to manage the risks of working in heat by eliminating them, and if this is not possible, by minimising these risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
Elimination or substitution
You must do everything that is reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks associated with working in heat. This may include:
- cancelling certain work tasks
- rescheduling tasks to cooler parts of the day
- waiting for hot conditions to pass.
When possible, the best control is to eliminate extreme heat hazards at the design or planning stage of work systems, or the construction or renovation of a workplace.
Engineering controls
Lack of air-flow is a key cause of heat stress and heat-related illness. Providing ventilation and air-flow are key engineering controls where elimination is not possible. This may include:
- air-conditioning
- exhaust ventilation
- industrial fans.
Administrative controls, PPE and workwear
Providing workers with additional controls can help to support managing heat in the workplace. This can include the availability of water and drinks to support hydration, scheduled breaks and appropriate PPE and workwear.
Different environments and facilities require varying standards to be met for protecting workers from the specific hazards to which they may be exposed. While the PPE and workwear requirements cannot be compromised, some workwear can prevent the evaporation of sweat or restrict air movement. Specifying the right workwear for the job at hand is also a key control measure in combatting heat stress. The right workwear can help to reduce heat build-up while you work, allowing you to manage and control your body temperature to reduce the risk of overheating
Where possible, workwear should offer lightweight comfort and breathability for workers. Features such as soft cotton-backed micromesh fabric can provide natural cotton comfort, and moisture-wicking properties help maximise the absorption and dispersion of moisture content for maximum dryness.
Extreme heat can have a severe impact on the health of workers, but correct risk assessment and implementation of control measures can help manage these risks and ensure workers remain safe and comfortable.
This information contained here is general in nature. For more information visit Safe Work Australia's 'Guide for managing the risks of working in heat'.