Since 2020, there have been over 400 deaths across the U.S. due to heat exposure.
When working outside or in jobs that require manual labor, it’s important to take care of your physical well-being to prevent illness or injury.
As lawyers who have helped cover personal injury cases and devastating on-the-job claims due to lack of hydration or adequate rest time, here are some important tips to keep yourself and your coworkers safe to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
How to Prevent Heat-Related Illness and Injury
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious illnesses that can cause extensive damage or even lead to a coma or death. A key part of avoiding these illnesses is proper hydration. While the strict “eight cups of water a day” rule has been modified to incorporate an individual’s needs rather than a specific amount, that does mean those people who work outside in the sun, lift heavy materials, are on their feet all day, or otherwise working in careers that make them sweat regularly need to be conscious of how much liquid they are intaking.
Hydration Rules to Remember:
- Intake liquids every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you’re not feeling thirsty.
- Avoid coffee, caffeinated tea, alcohol, or other drinks with caffeine. Caffeine dehydrates your body faster.
- Keep your fluid intake consistent, rather than drinking a lot in a short amount of time.
Hydration is just as important after work as it is during your work day. Make sure you’re drinking water or other fluids after you get home and on your days off.
Electrolytes: What is Their Role?
When you sweat, you’re not only releasing water but also expelling electrolytes and minerals that are necessary to maintain a balanced pH level in your body. This means you need to include more salts and healthy sugars in your diet. To make sure you’re getting the electrolytes you need during the work day, you can:
- Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or low-sugar fruit juices in addition to water
- Eat salty foods like peanuts, crackers, or pretzels
- Snack on nuts, bananas, or peanut butter
- Include leafy greens, zucchini, potatoes, plenty of proteins (like tuna fish), and healthy fats (like avocado) in lunches and dinners
Completely Cool: Tips for Working in the Heat
As temperatures fluctuate throughout the year, it’s crucial that you pay attention to the weather and to your body’s signals as you work. Creating a sustainable work environment during hot weather or environments means more than hydration.
Use the Shade
Working in the shade can help keep your body temperature cooler during the day. If you’re unable to work in the shade, make sure you find a shady place to rest or cool off in an air-conditioned location during breaks.
Pace Yourself
Don’t rush through tasks; work at a pace you can maintain throughout the day, especially as you’re acclimating to the hot weather. Studies have found that 70% of heat deaths occur within the first week on the job.
Dress for the Weather
Consider the following choices:
- Wear breathable material like cotton
- Select clothing colors that are lighter or pastel (whites, light blues, or light yellows), as darker colors absorb the heat and can increase your body temperature
- Wear a hat to help shade yourself from the sun
- Dress in layers so that you can adjust what you’re wearing to how the weather may change
- Wear and reapply sunscreen throughout the day
Preparing Yourself for the Heat: How to Handle the First Hot Week
While the above tips can help you stay safe when it’s hot, it’s also important to let your body get used to working in extreme temperatures. Start by slowly introducing hotter parts of the day into your work schedule to increase your heat tolerance.
Follow acclamation schedules that adjust the work duration in heat to make it less likely that you’ll be subject to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. These types of schedules are for people who are serious about maintaining their health and strength and are used by the U.S. military.
Remember, heat acclimation may need to happen more than once during peak hot seasons; after a week of not working in the heat, reacclimation would be necessary.
How Do I Spot a Heat-Related Illness?
Heat exhaustion symptoms include:
- Cool or moist skin
- Sweating
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed
- A weak pulse or low blood pressure
- Nausea
Heat stroke symptoms include:
- Dry skin or extreme sweating
- Possible seizures
- High body temperatures
- Mental state of confusion
Be a conscious coworker and check in on your team. Watch for any of the above signs in yourself and others, and use the buddy system to ensure that someone hasn’t passed out due to the heat.
If you or a coworker exhibit signs of heat exhaustion, immediately:
- Move to a cooler location and sit or lie down
- Slowly intake fluids (a few sips at a time)
- Monitor for changes, and call 911 if symptoms stay the same or worsen over the next hour
If signs or symptoms of heat stroke are present, immediately:
- Call 911
- Stop working and find shade
- Cool the body with wet clothes or cloths
Heat illnesses may not be immediately fatal, but death can happen a few days after, particularly if symptoms go untreated. It’s also possible to experience heat-related illnesses in cooler weather, so be on the watch for symptoms during all seasons.
How Does Heat Affect My Industry?
Heat illness can affect anyone, regardless of their job, although working in particular lines of work means that you have to be more careful.
For those in the construction, agriculture, landscape, or delivery industries, make sure you:
- Use acclimation schedules
- Take plenty of breaks in the shade or air conditioning
- Drink enough fluids
- Look for ways to perform work during cooler morning or evening hours
- Bring towels or clothes you can soak to stay cool
For emergency responders and military personnel:
- Use acclimation schedules
- Hydrate often
- When feeling ill from the heat, take a break; you can’t save someone if you need to be saved
If you don’t see your job listed above but find yourself working outside or in a hot environment for much of your day, follow the same precautions.
Your Rights and Resources: How to Assert Your Safety on the Job
There is a heated battle still brewing over H.B. 2127, the law Texas Gov. Greg Abbott passed in September 2023 that removed mandatory water breaks for construction workers (among other city health ordinances), even as Judge Maya Guerra Gamble found it unconstitutional. Needless to say, the concern for heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths is still high in Texas. Despite these repealed safety measures, you have the right to assert yourself on the job to avoid injury or death.
Make sure your workplace has a Heat Illness Prevention Plan, provides adequate heat safety training, and allows consistent rest breaks and water breaks. If your workplace is engaging in dangerous practices related to heat, you can contact OSHA to report extreme working conditions or heat illnesses.
Contact Pastrana & García Injury Law Today
Our lawyers are on your side when it comes to heat-related injuries and personal injury claims. If you’ve experienced heat injuries due to unsafe working conditions, call our lawyers at 512-474-4487 or contact us online.
