Heat stress toolbox talk

What it is

The body unable to shed heat from hot conditions, exertion or clothing, causing cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Controls to check, most effective first

1. Reschedule heavy or outdoor work to cooler parts of the day, or postpone non-essential work during extreme heat.
2. Use mechanical aids to cut physical exertion, and provide shade, fans, cooling or air-conditioned rest areas.
3. Provide cool drinking water close by, regular rest breaks and job rotation as heat and workload increase.
4. Let new and returning workers acclimatise gradually, and use a buddy system so workers watch each other for symptoms.
5. Train workers to recognise heat illness, and treat suspected heatstroke as an emergency by calling 000 and cooling the person.
6. Wear loose, light-coloured, breathable clothing, and consider cooling vests where heavy PPE adds to heat load.

Where it comes up on the job

Work steps from SafetyDocs templates that deal with heat stress:

• Check weather conditions & prepareWork safely in extreme weather and recognise hyperthermia and hypothermiaFrom Fibreglass Pool Installation
• Conduct a risk assessmentAssess the heat stress factors and the heat-related hazards that may cause injuryFrom Heat Stress
• Gas welding, soldering & cuttingControl fire, burns, eye injury and heat stress during hot workFrom Rough-in Final Fit-out Plumbing
• Install tiles following manufacturers’ instructionsInstall tiles with fall protection, and control silica dust, cement burns, cuts and heat stressFrom Roofing - Tiled
• TrainingTrain workers to recognise the symptoms of mild and severe heat stressFrom Heat Stress

Questions for the crew

1. Where could heat stress come up on this job today?
2. The most effective control is: “Reschedule heavy or outdoor work to cooler parts of the day, or postpone non-essential work during extreme heat”. Can we do that here? If not, why not?
3. Which controls for heat stress are missing or not working on this site?
4. When would you stop work because of heat stress, and who would you tell?
5. How do we report a hazard, a near miss or an incident on this job?