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Tackling Heat Stress with OSHA Recommendations

Most workers spend a major part of their working days with the unrelenting heat of the sun beating down on them. As you can imagine, this can lead to a number of health problems, apart from strong discomfort. Workers who work on construction projects, laundries, foundries, furnaces and bakeries, often have to face this burdensome heat, which makes them vulnerable to a number of safety risks.

However, most heart related sicknesses can be prevented with a little caution and little foresight. Here are few basic OSHA-recommended precautions to reduce the risk of heat stress:

1.If you are employer, then it would be wise to keep a number of engineering controls like good ventilation, spot cooling, exhaust ventilation, etc. At all the points where it is the hottest. Keeping shades and ensuring that your workers are appropriately shielded is important as it can also protect from radiation heat sources. Cooling fans are a great way to reduce the heat.

2.Provide your workers with plenty of drinking water. Train your workers in first aid and teach them how to recognize the first few signs of heat stress disorders. Consider your workers physical condition before you send him out on a task in a hot environment. Elderly workers, obese individuals and those who are on types of medication should preferably not be sent to hot environments.

3.Make sure your workers get plenty of time to rest in cool areas. Schedule the heavy work during the evenings when it is cooler. Make sure your workers are wearing appropriate clothes.

Above all, it is important to educate your workers about the potential heat stress hazards that come along with working in hot environments. Teach them how to identify signs of heat stress and how to handle the situation.

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