NEW – Ensure your staff are aware of heat dangers during the summer months

Health and safety requirements vary from province to province, however, the requirement to provide a safe working environment can be found in EVERY province requiring employers to safeguard employees from dangers in their workplace. While extreme heat conditions can be mitigated by delivery drivers whose air conditioning functions properly in their vehicle, heat can cause added concern for technicians. Some work locations may not have AC, and large portions of their workplace requirements are conducted outside. 

Ensure your staff are aware of heat dangers during the summer months by providing them with guidance of your expectations, and perhaps providing them with specific requirements they can apply to their work in high heat locations.

High temperatures can cause difficulties in how long employees can work without a break. The humidex is also a factor to consider.

Providing guidelines such as more frequent breaks, provision of extra water for hydration, and cooling time either indoors or in trucks may be needed options to help an employee remain healthy in high heat environments.  Understanding that heat can affect your staff differently and allowing for added recovery from the heat will help staff stay healthy and functional in the workplace.

Instruct employees to watch for signs of heat-related illness, including:

Heat rash, or prickly heat occurs when blocked sweat glands become inflamed. This painful rash reduces the body's ability to sweat and to tolerate heat.

Heat cramps are painful spasms of the muscles. The muscles used in doing the work are most susceptible. The spasms are caused by the failure of the body to replace its lost body salts and usually occur after heavy sweating.

Heat exhaustion results when the body loses large amounts of fluid by sweating during work in hot environments. The skin becomes cool and clammy. Symptoms include profuse sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and headaches.

Heat stroke is the most serious condition and requires immediate medical attention. The body temperature becomes very high (even exceeding 41°C). Complete or partial loss of consciousness is possible. Sweating is not a good symptom of heat stress as there are two types of heat stroke – "classical" where there is little or no sweating (usually occurs in children, persons who are chronically ill, and the elderly), and "exertional" where body temperature rises because of strenuous exercise or work and sweating is usually present.

For added information on heat related work difficulties, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides some great information that can be found here.