State Fund Today

Each year, thousands of workers across the nation become ill when exposed to excessive heat. Approximately 50 to 70 percent of heat illness cases happen during the first few days of working in warm or hot weather. Heat illness includes heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heat rash. If you have employers with staff that work outdoors, the following checklist will help them protect their employees from heat illness:

1. Provide plenty of drinking water
2. Ensure access to shady areas
3. Make an emergency plan
4. Create a plan to help your employees adjust to the conditions (it can take up to 14 days for workers to adjust to the heat and it’s important to train employees on that the process)
5. Provide heat illness prevention training
6. Write a heat illness prevention plan

Please check out Six Ways to Beat Heat Illness and share with your clients. Working in the heat takes a toll on even the most experienced workers. Encourage your policyholders to help their employees stay safe by reviewing their heat illness prevention plan at their next safety meeting.