The overall awareness for the prevention of heat-related illnesses rests with supervisors and site safety personnel.  However, the daily monitoring of employees for signs and symptoms of heat-related disorders rests with the employees and their first-line supervisors.

First-line supervisors typically know their employees’ work-related capabilities and limitations.  Therefore it is paramount that first-line supervisors--on a regular basis--monitor the condition of each employee assigned to them.  They should pay particular attention to the employee’s task, environment, and clothing, as well as any engineering and administrative controls and personal protective equipment in use. First-line supervisors often are day-to-day role models for other workers.  As such, they must be aware that their actions and behavior may influence their subordinates.  This is particularly true for employees just arriving at the job-site.  These employees may not be fully heat acclimated

•Modify work/rest schedules according to temperature and work load. •Rotate personnel; alternate job functions to minimize over-stress or overexertion at one task. •Ventilation, air cooling, fans, shielding, and insulation are the five major types of engineering controls used to reduce heat stress in hot work environments. •Reduce the physical demands of work such as excessive lifting or digging with heavy objects. •Limit worker occupancy, or numbers of workers present, especially in confined or enclosed spaces.

•The human body can adapt to heat exposure up to a point. After acclimatization, the same activity will produce lower cardiovascular demands.  The worker will sweat more efficiently (causing better evaporative cooling), may lose less salt, and thus will more easily maintain normal body temperatures. •Some heat acclimatization can be lost when individuals are removed from hot environments for periods as short as two weeks •Water is the first choice for rehydrating.  Drinks containing electrolytes such as Gatorade, Squincher, etc.; can be used,  providing they are not the sole source of fluid at the work site. (Individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, or on a low sodium diet should consult a physician before drinking electrolyte containing drinks such as Gatorade and Squincher.  All others may drink in moderation.) •Training is the key to good work practices.  If all employees do not understand the reasons for using new or changing old work practices, the chances of such a program succeeding are greatly reduced •Purpose and coverage of any environmental and medical surveillance programs and the advantages of worker participation in such a program. •Ice Vests-The cooling offered by ice packets lasts only two-four (or less) hours at moderate to heavy heat loads, making frequent replacement necessary.  However, ice vests do not encumber the worker with air supply or power cords, permitting maximum mobility.  Cooling with ice is also relatively inexpensive. •The use of self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) itself and its additional weight adds to stress to the worker, and this stress will contribute to the overall heat stress of the worker. •Chemical protective clothing such as totally encapsulated chemical protection suits will also add to the heat stress problem.

• Must be aware of limitations adjust their work loads to the environment. • Must be watch over them selves as well as the other individuals working around them.