With the Peak of summer just around the corner, Safety Advantage wants to remind you the importance of preventing heat related illnesses on the job.
There are two types of Heat related illness; Heat Stress and Heat Stroke.
As seen in the diagram below, becoming familiar with the signs and symptoms of heat related illness could save a co-workers life.
Ask yourself and/or your crew:
Let’s say there is a worker in our crew who has signs of heat exhaustion:
He/she is very sweaty, weak, Confused / Disoriented and has a headache.
What do you think you should do?
These are OSHA’s top 5 pointers to help a co-worker cool down.
- Call the supervisor and asks for medical help.
- Move the person to a cooler place to rest in the shade. Stay with the person.
- Give the person water as long as he/she is not losing consciousness or vomiting.
- Loosen the person’s clothing.
- Help the person cool. Fan them, put ice packs on the person’s groin and underarms, or soak the person’s clothing with cool water.
Be prepared to describe the symptoms and know how to describe your location to the emergency personnel so they can find you quickly.
Don’t wait because heat exhaustion can quickly become more dangerous. Act Immediately.
1) Drink water often; 2) Rest in the shade; 3) Report heat symptoms early; 4) Know what to do in the case of an emergency
REMEMBER – “Stopping for water, keeps you going.” – OSHA
