Heat Stress Toolbox Talk

In July 2023, during a heat wave in Huntsville, Alabama, a concrete finisher was hand forming curbs in direct sun as the heat index neared 107 degrees. Coworkers saw him stumbling, speaking incoherently and vomiting before he became unresponsive, and he died at the hospital about two hours later. OSHA said the death could have been prevented with shade and rest, and proposed a $16,131 penalty.

Source: OSHA

1. Drink water often, about a cup every 15 to 20 minutes, even when you are not thirsty.
2. Dark urine is a sign you need more water.
3. Check the heat index on the day, not just the temperature. Humidity, direct sun, no breeze and hot surfaces like roofs and slabs all make it worse.
4. Heat exhaustion signs: heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps and weakness. Stop, rest in the shade, cool down and drink water.
5. Heat stroke signs: confusion, slurred speech, hot skin, collapse or seizures. This is an emergency. Call 911 and cool them down straight away.
6. Cool someone down fast: move them to shade, take off extra clothing, soak them with cool water and fan them, and put ice packs in the armpits and groin. Do not leave them alone.
7. Never send someone who feels unwell in the heat to sit in a hot car or walk off alone. Heat illness can get worse quickly.
8. Do heavy work early in the day and take more breaks in the shade as the heat builds.
9. New workers and people back from leave need time to get used to the heat. Build up their workload over the first week or two.
10. Wear light colored, loose, breathable clothing. Use cooling vests or neck wraps if available.
11. Alcohol the night before and energy drinks on the day make heat illness more likely. So do some medicines, so tell your supervisor if you are on any.
12. Use a buddy system. People with heat illness often do not notice how bad they are.
13. If you feel unwell, stop and say so. Nobody will be sent back to work until they have cooled down and recovered.

1. Where is the shade and cool water on this site?
2. What are the early signs of heat exhaustion?
3. What would you do if a workmate became confused in the heat?
4. Which jobs today should we move to the cooler part of the day?
5. Who on the crew is new or just back from leave and needs time to get used to the heat?

• Run the talk early, in the shade, next to the water supply so everyone knows where it is.
• Check today's heat index together on the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app and agree when heavy work stops or moves to the cooler hours.
• Name the new and returning workers and pair each one with a buddy for the day.
• Show the cooling kit: ice, cold water, towels and where a person would be cooled, and practise the call to emergency services.
• Ask each person to say one early sign of heat illness out loud.
• Record attendance, the conditions and the agreed break plan on the sign-in sheet.

There is no final federal OSHA heat standard yet. OSHA proposed one in August 2024, but for now it cites heat hazards under the General Duty Clause, which requires employers to keep the workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm, and inspects through its heat National Emphasis Program. OSHA expects employers to give workers water, rest and shade, and to let new and returning workers build up to working in the heat.

Source: OSHA