High humidity toolbox talk
Read it out at the pre-start or a toolbox meeting, talk through the questions, and have everyone sign on. It's built from our high humidity page and the 28 SafetyDocs templates that cover it.
- Site
- Date
- Presented by
What it is
Humid air, from weather or from steam and moisture in the work area, that stops sweat evaporating and cooling the body.
Controls to check, most effective first
- Reduce humidity at the source by fixing steam leaks, venting moisture and using dehumidifiers in enclosed work areas.
- Increase air movement with fans or ventilation so sweat can evaporate and cool the body.
- Assess heat risk with a heat stress tool that includes humidity rather than air temperature alone, and lighten workloads accordingly.
- Provide cool drinking water, longer rest breaks and cool, dry rest areas away from the humid work area.
- Choose breathable, moisture-wicking clothing and PPE, and allow time to change out of sweat-soaked clothing.
Questions for the crew
- Where could high humidity come up on this job today?
- The most effective control is: “Reduce humidity at the source by fixing steam leaks, venting moisture and using dehumidifiers in enclosed work areas”. Can we do that here? If not, why not?
- Which controls for high humidity are missing or not working on this site?
- When would you stop work because of high humidity, and who would you tell?
- How do we report a hazard, a near miss or an incident on this job?
Sign-on record
Everyone who attended signs below. Keep it with your toolbox talk records.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
A starting point for a talk, not a SWMS or a risk assessment. Add what's particular to your site and crew.