Originally published by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety
Multiple regulators have urged employers to keep workers safe ahead of expected heatwave conditions and other extreme weather events throughout the summer.
Employers have a primary duty of care for employees and encouraged them to develop a workplace heat management plan in consultation with their HSR and workers to ensure everyone stays safe when the temperature rises, according to SafeWork NSW.
Heat related illnesses happen when the body starts to overheat due to working too hard to cool itself down. Symptoms can include a range of progressive conditions, such as dehydration, fainting, heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke."
Employers who have workers completing tasks outside must do their best to eliminate extended periods of sun exposure.
This could be by providing shade, rotating tasks to reduce exposure, scheduling work to cooler times of the day and providing personal protective equipment such as hats, long sleeve shirts and sunscreen.
“As the weather gets warmer it’s important businesses and workers start to talk about the procedures they will use to keep everyone safe from heat-related illnesses,” said Trent Curtin, head of SafeWork NSW.
“We don’t want to see anyone needing medical attention due to heat exposure. Workers are reminded to listen to their body when the temperature rises and to drink plenty of water. It is vital you do not replace water with soft drinks, energy drinks or coffee as these can dehydrate you further.
“If the weather becomes too hot and can’t be avoided then the job might have to be stopped. Worker safety must come first.”
WorkSafe Victoria executive director of health and safety, Narelle Beer, also said employers need to ensure tasks are carried out safely and that they make accommodations and prepare for extreme conditions.
“In extreme heat it’s crucial that employers take all possible steps to reduce the risk of dehydration and heat illnesses such as heat rash, fainting, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be life-threatening,” she said.
“Where there is high risk of fire, employers must also ensure they are not carrying out any work activities that may provide an ignition source, such as welding or other hot works.”
Employers should consult with their workers and health and safety representatives (HSRs), prepare a tailored strategy for their individual circumstances and ensure workers are educated on how to recognise heat-related illnesses in themselves and others.
If outside, Beer recommended rescheduling strenuous work for a cooler part of the day, and ensuring that workers have access to plenty of cold water and a cool place to take a break.
“It’s also important to take precautions for indoor workers, especially in spaces without air conditioning or ventilation – particularly where heat can be retained indoors for longer and exceed outdoor temperatures,” she said.
The Northern Territory recently experienced the season’s first heatwave, and two workers were hospitalised with heat-related illnesses.
In the first incident, a 17-year-old apprentice worked on a roof of a property in the Darwin rural area for the full day. The following day at work, the apprentice was described as erratic and made a number of errors.
The apprentice saw a doctor after feeling unwell over the weekend and was directed to immediately attend the hospital where they were diagnosed with heat stroke.
In the second incident, a 45-year-old season worker from the Pacific Islands collapsed while picking mangoes in the Darwin rural area. The worker was hospitalised and treated for dehydration.
NT WorkSafe urged all workplaces with workers working outdoors to ensure the following measures are in place:
- Undertake Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) using Safe Work Australia’s Guide for managing the risks of working in heat.
- Ensure your workers have appropriate information, training and/or instruction on the potential risks of working in the heat.
- Have a heat stress/heat stroke management plan in place and ensure your workers have the required information and items readily available to implement the plan, if a heat stress or heat stroke incident occurs at the workplace.
- Consider available control measures and implement them to eliminate the risk so far as is reasonably practicable. Where it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Follow the Northern Territory’s Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination Code of Practice, and consult your workers and their health and safety representatives and seek feedback on the effectiveness of the control measures implemented at the next toolbox talk or team meeting.
