Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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Treatment—Move to shaded area. Remove outer clothing.
Immediately wrap in wet sheet, pour water on and fan vigorously,
avoid over-cooling. Treat shock if present, once temperature is
lowered. If worker vomits, make sure all vomit is cleared from the
mouth and nose to prevent choking. Transport to nearest medical
facility at once. While waiting for transport, elevate legs, and con-
tinue pouring on water and fanning. If conscious, have worker
drink as much water as possible. Do not give salt.
The potential for heat stress is influenced by many factors, including am-
bient temperature, relative humidity, amount of sunshine, wind speed, amount
and type of PPE, and the workload.
Whether a worker actually develops heat stress symptoms also depends on
the worker, including his/her level of hydration, fitness, weight, height, and
degree of acclimatization. As a general rule, workers who have worked two
hours or more in hot environments or in PPE that restricts heat loss from the
body for seven or more days in a row are considered to be
acclimatized.
Unfortunately, PPE used for protection from pesticides can increase the
potential for heat stress. The PPE features that keep pesticides out also serve
to prevent body heat from escaping. People cannot work as long or as hard
when the PPE they are wearing reduces the body's ability to maintain its
thermal balance. Under some environmental conditions, certain activities can-
not be performed without jeopardizing the health of the worker unless auxil-
iary cooling is provided. The risk that PPE may aggravate heat stress must be
balanced with the PPE's potential worker protection benefits.
One way to reduce the risk of heat stress is to modify the work/rest cycle,
i.e., reduce the work time and increase the rest time during each hour on the
job.
B.
MANAGING
WORK
ACTIVITIES:
APPROACHES
FOR
SETTING WORK/REST PERIODS
Employers should include the following approaches for managing work in
their heat stress control program:
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setting up rest breaks
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rotating tasks
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shifting times for doing heavy work and work requiring protective
gear
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reducing workloads
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postponing non-essential tasks.
