Heat Safety in Plastic Manufacturing
If the body cannot get rid of excess heat, it will store
that excess heat, causing its core temperature rises and the heart rate
to increase. As the body continues to store heat, a person begins to lose
concentration and the ability to focus on a task, may become irritable or
sick, and often loses the desire to drink. The next stage is most often
fainting, and even death, if the person is not cooled down.
Excessive workplace exposure to heat can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, from heat rash and heat
cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Risk Factors for Heat-Related
Illness
Many manufacturing workers are exposed to heat on the job. Environmental factors that put these workers
at greater risk of heat-related illness include exposure to radiant heat
sources, contact with hot objects, and limited air movement (due to no or inadequate
ventilation).
In addition, some workers might be at greater risk than others if they have
not built up a tolerance to hot conditions, or if they have health
conditions that make them especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. Workers who are suddenly exposed to working in a hot
environment face additional, but generally avoidable, hazards to their safety
and health.
Heat-Related
Illness Prevention
Heat-related illnesses can be
prevented through implementing engineering controls, proper work
practices, and worker training.