Among the dangers outdoor workers can face during the summer are heat stroke risks. Heat stroke can have major impacts on workers. It could leave them needing significant medical care and having to take time away from work. Significant workers’ comp issues can come up for workers in connection to these effects.
Heat stroke can even have the potential to take workers’ lives.
Now, some might assume that heat stroke is only a concern when working in abnormally high summer temperatures. However, a recent study indicates that temperatures don’t have to be in the 90s or 100s for risks of serious heat stroke to arise.
Among the things the study looked at were 14 instances of fatal work-related heat stroke. It investigated what the Heat Index was in each of these cases. Heat Index is meant to indicate how hot it feels outside, taking both temperature and humidity into account. The study found that six of the cases of fatal heat stroke occurred at a heat index under 91 degrees Fahrenheit.
So, summer heat doesn’t have to reach abnormal levels for concerns about risks to workers to arise. It is important to remember there are a variety of things beyond just how hot it is that can impact how likely outdoor workers are to develop heat stroke. This includes: how strenuous of work is being done, how acclimated workers are to working in warm temperatures, what clothing they are wearing, how hydrated they are and what breaks they are getting.
So, throughout the summer, not just on extremely hot days, it is important for employers of outdoor workers to take proper measures to protect their employees from heat-related risks. This includes having appropriate policies regarding hydration, breaks and monitoring workers for signs of heat-related problems. How good of a job do you feel Pennsylvania employers, in general, do at this?
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