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7/1/24, 1:29 PM Unprecedented Global Temperatures and Record-Breaking Heat: Rising Workforce Health and Safety Concerns, ETHRWorldME
Without prompt medical attention, it can lead to lasting disability or even death.
Symptoms include a core body temperature exceeding 40°C, nausea and/or vomiting,
confusion and seizures. Recognising the early signs of heat stress, such as sweating,
dizziness, headache and cramps, allows swift intervention to prevent escalation to heat
exhaustion or heat stroke.”
International SOS offers guidelines for organisations to mitigate workforce health
risks of extreme heat events:
Conduct heat-specific risk assessments: regularly assess your operations for
potential heat stress hazards. Identify high-risk locations and activities and consider
vulnerable employee profiles, including those with pre-existing health conditions or
who perform strenuous outdoor work.
Integrate heat safety into health and safety policies: make heat stress prevention a
core component of your health and safety policies. Ensure workers have access to
shaded areas for breaks, hydration stations to keep hydrated and allow for breathable
workwear suitable for high temperatures.
Provide heat stress awareness and prevention training: deliver climate-specific
training programmes that focus on working safely in extreme heat. Educate employees
on proper hydration practices and sun protection measures and enable them to adjust
their work pace during high temperatures. Train employees to recognise heat stress
symptoms and provide clear protocols for hydration, rest breaks and cooling down.
Develop robust heat response protocols: develop well-defined procedures for
responding to heat-related illnesses, including first aid and emergency evacuation.
Communicate these protocols effectively and ensure your workforce knows who to
contact in case of a heat emergency.
Continuously review and update your response plans: conduct regular reviews of
your organisation’s heat response plans to ensure they reflect the latest information
and best practices for heat safety.
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