With the summer fast approaching, and June being National Safety Month, what better timing than now to talk about Heat Safety?
Heat illness is not to be taken lightly. It can be deadly. This is why for the fourth consecutive summer OSHA is launching a Heat Illness Prevention Campaign, Water.Rest.Shade., to raise awareness as the temperatures rise to share about the importance of working in hot weather. In addition, the National Safety Council also advises those who are going to be working outside to take preventative measures and listen to their body while working in high temperatures, especially with high humidity.
Heat is the most deadly, weather-related illness, according to the NOAA.gov. Statistics show that heat strokes are the number one fatality. The NSC describes a heat stroke as a circumstance when the body builds up too much heat, and sweating it out just isn’t enough. A person may become delusional or lose consciousness. If one does not receive proper care by ridding the body of excess heat, the body essentially “cooks” itself from the inside out. If the victim does survive, the brain and other vital organs may suffer permanent damage.
OSHA has provided a number of educational resources to encourage workers to be safe and aware of the dangers of heat-related issues. Employers and employees should take advantage of the links below, and ensure they launch or follow a heat safety awareness program in order to prevent injuries and fatalities:
- Educational Resources Section links to information about heat illnesses and how to prevent them. Many of these resources target vulnerable workers with limited English proficiency and/or low literacy.
- Using the Heat Index provides guidance to employers to develop a heat illness prevention plan.
- Training This link includes a guide/lesson plan for employers to use in instructing workers on heat illness.
- Online Toolkit includes news releases, public service announcements (PSAs), drop-in articles about heat illness prevention that you can customize to share and campaign artwork.
- Fatality Map shows locations of outdoor worker, heat-related fatalities between 2008 and 2012. It is not an exhaustive list of all worker fatalities from heat exposure.
In addition, utilizing the resources above, EWN has created an at-a-glance summer safety sheet outlining important details about staying safe in the sun and heat!
Click here to view the infographic.
References:
–www.osha.gov/heat
–http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=noaaexcessiveheat#heat_hazards
–http://www.nsc.org/pages/home.aspx