Workplace safety moments7/25/2023 ![]() By identifying and understanding the hazards and taking steps to manage the risk, you can ensure your workers remain safe, healthy, and productive throughout the summer months.To create a true culture of safety in a workplace, it’s important for managers to get involved and take the process seriously. The changing seasons bring a host of new safety challenges to outdoor workers. Holding regular training sessions can be an effective way of educating workers about traffic-related hazards and protection plans. Whether they're filling potholes and paving or directing traffic around utility workers, employees who work on or near busy roadways must constantly battle traffic hazards to remain safe.Īccording to NIOSH, nearly 100 workers are killed and more than 20,000 injured in work zones every year.Ĭlearly identify work areas and use barriers and lower speed limits to keep the public (and their vehicles) out of them.Įnsure every worker is equipped with the appropriate PPE for the job, including the correct class of hi-vis gear. The summer is construction season on roadways around the country. Those with fair skin should check for unusual moles or spots on a regular basis and see a doctor if they find anything that is changing in shape, size, and color, or is itchy or bleeding. ![]() Whenever possible, allow for regular breaks in a shady area. Workers should keep covered up as much as possible, including wearing a hat with a flap or brim to protect the ears and back of the neck.Īll areas of exposed skin should be covered with sunscreen and water should be made available to combat dehydration. In the long-term, workers may experience leathery and wrinkled skin and an increased risk of skin cancer, which can be deadly. It can also contribute to fatigue and dehydration. The main short-term effect from extended sun exposure is sunburns, which can range from a mild reddening of the skin to more serious burns that blister and peel. Workers who spend long periods of time outside are most at risk, including construction workers, gardeners, and even some public service workers. ![]() Not to be confused with exposure to heat, direct exposure to the hot summer sun and its intense UV rays poses its own hazard to workers. Clear or pale yellow urine indicates adequate hydration, while darker yellow is a warning of dehydration. Make sure your employees know they should monitor their urine color and what to look for. Urine color is an important indicator of hydration levels. Make sure water is readily available and that workers drink it regularly – about one cup of liquid every 15 to 20 minutes is ideal.Īlcoholic, caffeinated, and sugary drinks can exacerbate dehydration, so it’s best to stick with water. And since water is what keeps our bodies functioning optimally by regulating our core body temperature, carrying nutrients to our organs, and flushing out internal toxins, it’s critical that we replenish this lost fluid.Įxtreme heat and hard physical labor can increase the rate at which our bodies lose water, depleting our hydration levels and posing a health and safety risk. Whether it's through breathing, sweating, or urinating, our bodies are constantly losing water. (Learn about New Trends in Equipment to Help Outdoor Workers Beat the Heat.) Hazard #3: Dehydration Monitor themselves and their coworkers for signs of heat stress.Take frequent breaks in cool or shady areas.Gradually build up to heavy or demanding work.Wear clothing that is light colored, loose fitting, and breathable (like cotton).Train employees to recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses and take action.Provide cool water or other non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated beverages to workers.Mandate frequent rest periods in a shaded shelter.Provide PPE appropriate to the weather conditions, if possible.Use relief workers or assign additional workers for physically demanding tasks.Reduce the physical demands of workers when temperatures and humidity levels are high.Adjust schedules to avoid outdoor work during the hottest period of the day (10am to 2pm).Workers and employers both play a role in helping prevent heat-related illnesses from taking hold. It happens when the body is no longer able to control its core temperature or cool itself down. ![]() Heat stroke is the most serious of all heat-related illnesses and should always be treated as a medical emergency.
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