This
page covers the following topics:
- Overview
- Determining Unsafe Working Conditions
- Jobs that Expose Workers to Heat
- Prevention Techniques
- Additional Information
Overview
When
a person works in a hot environment, the body must get rid of excess heat to
maintain a stable internal temperature. It does this mainly through circulating blood to the skin and through
sweating. When the air temperature is
close to or warmer than normal body temperature, cooling of the body
becomes more difficult. Blood circulated to the skin cannot lose its heat.
Sweating then becomes the main way the body cools off. But sweating is
effective only if the humidity level is
low enough to allow evaporation, and if the fluids and salts that are lost
are adequately replaced.
If
the body cannot get rid of excess heat, it will store that excess heat. When
this happens, symptoms of heat illness start to develop. The body's core temperature rises and the
heart rate increases. As the body continues to store heat, a person begins to
lose concentration and has difficulty focusing 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. Heat stroke
can result in death and requires immediate medical attention.