Be careful when working in extreme heat
Millions of Americans sweat their way through the work week. Ask anyone from welders to pastry chefs, road construction crews to factory workers during a sweltering summer: Extremely hot and humid working conditions are not confined to tropical countries.
You should be aware of the many health problems associated with laboring in extreme heat. It also can lead to on-the-job accidents.
It can cause less serious ills like heat cramps, prickly heat and heat exhaustion. In rare cases, heat can even be deadly. Heat stroke occurs when the body’s regulatory system fails and body temperature rises too high; it can cause brain damage or death.
So if your employees are among those working in high heat conditions, make sure they take frequent breaks and drink fluids. Everyone should know how to identify signs of heat illness.
How hot is too hot?
The answer varies according to your overall fitness and the type of physical activity the work requires. No matter what the temperature is around you, your body tries to maintain its normal internal temperature of 98.6. For most of us, that means we’re comfortable working in an environment of about 73 degrees (with 45 percent humidity), but that ideal could drop as low as 55 degrees if your work is extremely labor intensive.
