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Module 1: Occupational Hygiene - Section 5: Instrumentation |
OH5.11: Evaluation of Heat Stress - Preventing Heat Disorder |
Preventing heat disorders:
The risk of heat-related illnesses can be reduced by:
- Engineering controls to provide a cooler environment;
- Safe work practices to reduce worker exposure; and
- Training employees to recognise and prevent heat-related illnesses.
Engineering controls:
- Ventilation and air conditioning are commonly used to provide cool workstations;
- Introduce evaporative or mechanical cooling;
- Optimise air velocity near workers by strategically locating air supply and extractor fans;
- Use of shielding to stop radiated heat from reaching workstation;
- Reduce humidity by eliminating hot water baths, drains, and leaky steam valves;
- Isolate, relocate or redesign hot processes;
- Use work saving devices (automation or mechanisation) to reduce metabolic heat production.
Administrative control:
- Schedule heavy work during cool parts of the day;
- Spread job across more workers;
- Train workers to recognise signs and symptoms of heat disorders (first aid training);
- Provide adequate water supply;
- Acclimatization;
- Work-rest schedules and illness records;
- Assess WBGT at the work site in cases of heat illness.
Personal protective equipment:
- Specifically designed heat-protection clothing is available for working in extremely hot conditions;
- Light clothing allows maximum skin exposure and efficient body cooling through sweat evaporation;
- Work that requires wearing of impermeable clothing presents an added heat burden as clothing reduces the body's ability to dissipate heat.