Working outside, you know that the weather can have an impact on your day. Hot weather, especially when combined with strenuous physical labour, can cause your body temperature to rise to unsafe levels.
Normally, your body cools itself through sweating, but in hot and humid weather, these conditions can result in dangerous heat illness. As a business owner, you are responsible for your employees during these hot weather conditions and it might be worth sharing the health and precautions information to help keep them safe during the summer.
How to Prevent Heat-Related Illness at Work?
- Wear loose, light-coloured clothing when possible, along with a hard hat to keep yourself cool.
- Take short breaks to rest in the shade. If wearing outer protective clothing, remove it during your break.
- Gradually build up to heavier work.
- Avoid overexerting yourself during peak temperature periods—such as between noon and 3pm.
- Stay hydrated. Choose water, fruit juice or sports drinks and stay away from liquids containing caffeine. Caffeinated drinks, such as fizzy drinks or coffee, can make you more dehydrated.
Recognising the Symptoms of Heat Related Illnesses
- Heat cramps – severe muscle spasms in the back, stomach, arms and legs, which are attributed to the loss of body salt and water during periods of heavy perspiration
- Heat exhaustion – heavy sweating, cool or pale skin, nausea, headache, weakness, vomiting and fast pulse
- Heat stroke – high body temperature, sweating stops, red and often dry skin, rapid breathing and pulse, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, confusion or unconsciousness
Providing Treatment
It is essential to treat heat illness as soon as possible. If you are feeling any of the above symptoms, inform a colleague and ask for help immediately.
If you suspect that a fellow worker has any of these conditions, follow the NHS guidance:
- Heat cramps – Move the victim to a cooler area and allow them to drink approximately 175ml of water every 15 minutes. Follow up with a medical examination.
- Heat exhaustion – Move the person to a cool place and remove all unnecessary clothing such as jackets, socks and hats. Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink or cool water. Cool their skin with a spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Wrap a cold pack in a cloth and put it under their armpits or on their neck. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
If after 30 minutes and they are still being unwell, call 111 for more advice.
If they are experiencing signs of heatstroke, you need to ring 999 and put them into the recovery position if they lose consciousness.
More information on Heat Exhaustion and Heat stroke can be found on the NHS website.
Safety Reminder
The risk of heat illness increases with age, poor diet, being overweight, insufficient liquid intake, poor physical condition and/or when taking medication.
As a business owner, its best to be aware of the expected weather conditions each day so that you can help keep your employees safe during the hotter weather. It’s best to remind them of the safety precautions and even offer more breaks and make a hydration station.
In some cases if the weather is extremely hot, it might be worth rearranging the working hours of the day if possible. Starting earlier in the day when it’s cooler and finishing before the peak temperature period.
Failing to help and support your employees during the hot weather can lead to them becoming ill. As well as your employees being off sick, they may make a claim against your company.
If they do make a claim against your company, this is where your employers’ liability insurance policy will help protect your business against financial setbacks. If you would like to get in touch about your employers liability insurance, have any questions or would like a quote on your upcoming renewal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today. Call 0117 947 9510 or complete our enquiry form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.