THORZT is excited to launch the 2019 Complete Guide to Preventing Heat Stress, a detailed and up-to-date guide on the latest research and best practice workplace heat stress control.
The 14-page handbook has been created to provide businesses, health and safety officers, managers and workers with an understanding of what heat stress is, the factors that influence it and what can be done to prevent it, including how to implement a heat stress management plan.
Expanding on many of the topics covered in THORZT’s original Heat Stress in the Workplace Guide, the 2019 guide incorporates new research and provides a greater focus on minimisation and prevention strategies.
Beginning with a definition of heat stress and who it affects, the symptoms, risk factors and a analysis of the condition’s physical and economic impacts, it is quickly clear that heat stress mitigation is critical for businesses.
Mitigation Strategies:
THORT’s new guide provides a detailed analysis of the various measures which can be effectively implemented as part of a workplace heat stress management plan, including the role of key heat stress risk factors and mitigation strategies including:
- Hydration
- Cooling apparel
- Crushed ice ingestion
- Acclimatisation and fitness
- Work rates
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Alcohol
Suggestions are also provided for how workplaces can incorporate these elements into their heat stress management plan.
Management only has the ability to control some aspects of heat stress reduction, such as crushed ice ingestion, hydration and work rates, other factors such as sleep and alcohol – and possibly nutrition – are more often controlled by the worker.
For these elements, worker education is critical, and The Complete Guide to Preventing Heat Stress offers guidance on how managers can train and encourage their workers to take an active role in preventing heat stress in themselves and their colleagues.
This includes recognising the signs and symptoms, understanding the factors that increase risk and encouraging small lifestyle changes.
Heat stress first aid measures are also outlined in detail, seen as critical in preventing potentially serious heat stress related health problems, and a critical component in the education and training of workers and managers.
Heat stress audits:
Finally, in order to help you implement an effective heat stress management plan, the guide also covers how to conduct a heat stress audit, which may include heat stress questionnaires, interviews and anecdotal worker feedback.
Heat stress audits often also include monitoring of workers’ skin and core temperatures and implementing environmental monitoring methods such as Thermal Work Limit (TWL) to better understand environmental conditions contributing to heat stress.
For the detailed guide and to commence reducing heat stress in your workplace, download THORZT’s Complete Guide to Preventing Heat Stress.