Many occupations expose employees to hot working environments. Work with hot plant (ovens) or in hot surroundings creates the potential for heat-related illness. Workload and clothing can also be factors in heat stress for workers.
The way the body reacts to the heat stress is known as heat strain. It is important to distinguish between a condition which threatens health and safety and one which results in a feeling of discomfort.
Heat-related illness ranges from prickly heat, to heat cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke, although uncommon, is the most serious illness and can lead to death.
Under current safety legislation, all persons conducting a business or undertaking must ensure they eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. To ensure your business is adequately prepared to respond to and manage the risk of heat stress, systems should be in place to monitor the workplace. These systems should:
This risk-based approach must be undertaken in consultation with identified stakeholders such as employees and contractors.
Identifying hazards
The effects of heat on the body are influenced by environmental factors including:
Personal risk factors (such as age, weight, diet and whether a person is on medication) should also be considered as they may increase the risk of heat stress.
In addition, a person’s degree of heat acclimatisation will affect the level of risk. Heat acclimatisation is a physiological process whereby the body is able to reduce the risk of heat strain (i.e. tolerate higher levels). Heat acclimatisation takes time and those not acclimatised will be at higher risk to heat exposure.
Risk assessment
In assessing the overall risk it is important to consider all risk elements, both environmental and personal. Not all risk elements need be present for there to be a significant risk of heat stress, although it is likely that more than one will be required. Special attention should be paid to personal risk factors, as these may cause issues even when environmental conditions are acceptable.
Any risk assessment should be undertaken in consultation with employees, as required by legislation.
Where a number of risk factors are present, a more detailed risk assessment is needed. For instance if the environmental conditions in the workplace are hot and humid and processes also involve manual work and/or wearing multiple layers of clothing.
Risk controls
As with other hazards, there is a hierarchy of controls that should be considered to reduce the risks involved, starting with elimination.
Eliminate, substitute and/or isolate the heat source
Engineering controls
Administrative and/or behavioural controls
Workers and other persons must take reasonable care to comply and cooperate with the employer to effectively manage hot working environments.
Further advice or assistance
For further advice or assistance on this topic, or any workplace relations matter, Employment Plus clients who have placed two or more candidates have free access to the Ai Group Workplace Advice Line.
Call 1300 862 217, 8.30am– 5.15pm ADT Monday-Friday