Working Safely Outdoors

We’ve been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures this spring in Southwestern Ontario. It’s important to be aware of the hazards that come with working outdoors and to understand how to protect ourselves and our workers. Let’s begin with the physical hazards:

1. Extreme Heat:

     Those working outdoors on hot summer days or inside hot environments could be at risk for heat stress. Heat stress can lead to heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rashes. As heat rises, our body’s natural response is to sweat to help cool us down. Sweating can increase a worker’s risk of injury: sweaty palms, fogged up safety glasses and dizziness.

 Heat Stroke: When a person’s body is no longer able to cool itself and it loses its major defense from preventing hyperthermia, this is called heat stroke. The body temperature is elevated to 40.5 degrees Celsius, skin is hot and dry (not sweaty), the person may become dizzy, confused, breathe rapidly, have a weak pulse, and may be semi-conscious or unconscious. It’s important to receive medical attention right away, have the employee move to a cool location, loosen or remove clothing, try cooling them with water and a fan, place cold compresses on their head, neck, armpits and groin area. If treatment for heat stroke does not happen immediately it could result in organ damage or even death.

Heat Exhaustion: When the body loses too many fluids and minerals, heat exhaustion can set in. The combination of heat exhaustion and heat cramps can result in heat stroke. The employee will experience headache, thirst, heavy perspiration, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, restlessness, impaired judgement, loss of appetite, weak and rapid pulse, cool moist skin, low to normal blood pressure and blurred vision. It can also lead to coma or death in extreme cases. The employee needs immediate medical attention. They need to be relocated to a cool area, lie down, loosen clothing, and drink fluids.

Heat Cramps: These can occur on their own or in combination with other major heat disorders. Heat cramps are caused by sweating heavily and hydrating but not replacing salt. The symptoms of heat cramps include: painful cramps of leg, arm or abdominal muscles and hot, moist skin. It’s important to move any employee who is experiencing heat cramps in to cool area, have them drink fluids, massage the area that is cramping and loosen clothing.

Heat Rash: The skin appears to be red and blotchy and can also be extremely itchy in areas that are constantly damp due to heavy perspiration. Have the employee find a cool place to sit, take a cool shower if possible and make sure to dry the skin thoroughly. Wear loose clothing that breathes, and keep the skin clean in order to unblock clogged pores.

Who is at Risk? Those at the greatest risk of developing a heat related illness include workers who are 65 or older, overweight, who have heart disease and or high blood pressure, diabetics, those have previously experienced a heat illness or are on medication that can be affected by extreme heat.

 As an employer it is your responsibility to keep your workers safe. It is important to limit the time each worker is spending in the heat, allowing for adequate rest breaks and promoting hydration. 

2. Sun Exposure:

    With exposure to the sun comes exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. They penetrate and alter the structure of skin cells. The worst part is they are invisible. There are three types of UV rays: A, B and C. UVA radiation is thought to have the ability to cause cancer because it can penetrate beyond the top layer of human skin and can damage the connective tissue. It is also the most abundant. UVB rays do not penetrate as deep but can still be damaging. UVC is not dangerous as these rays are absorbed by the atmosphere. 

Sun exposure is greatest between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. The risks of sun exposure include: sunburns and skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma).

 Recommendations:

• It is best to avoid scheduling work during peak sunlight hours, if at all possible.
• Ensure workers can take breaks out of the sun (indoors or find a shady spot).
• Train workers about the risk of sun exposure, how to avoid it and the signs and symptoms.
• Encourage your workers to wear sunscreen even on cloudy days (minimum 15 SPF) – SPF (sun protection factor) refers to the amount of time a person’s skin will be protected from a sunburn. For example SPF 15 means 15 times longer than normal. *Remember sunscreen expires, so be sure to keep an eye on expiry dates.*
• Encourage workers to wear sunglasses or provide safety glasses that are UV-absorbent 95% or above 
• Promote hydration. Once a person is thirsty, they are already dehydrated. It is best to drink small amounts of water often. If your workers are in the heat for long periods of time, drinking fluids with electrolytes like a sports drink or lightly salted water is a good idea.

 Here are some Fast Facts from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on how to protect yourself and your workers from sun exposure: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-116/pdfs/2010-116.pdf 

3. Noise:

    Hearing loss is a far too common work-related illness. Millions of workers are exposed to unsafe noise levels at work or are exposed to ototoxic chemicals which can result in sensorineural hearing loss or disequilibrium or both. 

Noise levels should be less than 85 dBA for eight hours, in order to reduce occupational noise induced hearing loss according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH also recommends that for every 3 dBA increase in noise it doubles the amount of noise and therefore exposure time should be only four hours. 

In order to have a successful hearing prevention program for your workplace it needs to include:

• Noise Exposure Monitoring
• Engineering and Administrative Controls
• Audiometric Evaluation
• Use of Hearing Protection Devices
• Education and Motivation
• Program Evaluation
• Program Audit

     Not sure where to start with a hearing prevention program, or unsure if your current program is doing all it should? Apex is your trusted hearing conservation advisor.

Everyone needs to work together to create and maintain a safe work environment all year around with some extra attention throughout the summer months.

 Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/
http://www.ohcow.on.ca/uploads/Clinics/Hazards_of_Working_in_the_Sun.pdf

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