OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has issued an illustrative index that details that proper steps employers and employees should take when working outside in the heat. Especially in increasingly warmer summer temperatures, body temperature can rise to dangerous levels if you don't drink enough water and rest in the shade.
The index from OSHA is available on their website and reaffirms the OSHA laws that employers must follow to be compliant. An employer with workers exposed to high temperatures should establish a complete heat illness prevention program.
Here are six ways to beat heat related illness and fatalities as provided by OSHA:
Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty.
- Rest in the shade to cool down.
- Wear a hat and light-colored clothing.
- Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency.
- Keep an eye on fellow workers.
- "Easy does it" on your first days of work in the heat. You need to get used to it
