As the summer months get closer, people who work outdoors or in warm indoor environments will have to pay close attention to signs of heat illnesses. This includes people who work at water parks, amusement parks, parking lots, commercial kitchens, landscaping, warehouses and other places.
As if the heat weren’t dangerous by itself, people in Florida also have to contend with humidity, which makes sweating far less effective at cooling them down. When internal body temperatures rise faster than the body can cool them, heat illnesses are possible.
Symptoms of heat illness
There’s more than one type of heat illness that people need to watch for. Heat exhaustion is one of the more common. This tends to cause nausea, dizziness, headache and profuse sweating. Workers who notice all or some of those signs need to get out of the heat and cool down right away.
If a worker doesn’t cool down, they’re at risk of heat stroke. This is a medical emergency that can cause loss of consciousness, confusion and hot, dry skin. The person likely won’t sweat at all.
The risk of heat illness is present for all workers, but it is more common for people who haven’t worked in these conditions. The majority of heat-related fatalities occur within the first few days on the job. This is likely because the body hasn’t adjusted to the conditions and because the person isn’t watching closely enough for signs that they need to cool down.
The onus is on employers to ensure workers have safe working conditions. This includes taking steps to allow workers who are in warm conditions to get out of the heat. Temperatures as low as 86 degrees Fahrenheit have led to fatal heat strokes. Workers who suffer heat-related illnesses should file a workers’ compensation claim, but they may need assistance with this process.